Carbohydrates are a group of molecules that are comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and serve as your body's primary fuel source. Carbohydrates consist of various types of sugars that are combined into chains and used for different processes in your body. Carbohydrates range from simple to complex, indicating the amount of molecules attached to the chain. There are four main groups of carbohydrates: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Each type of carbohydrate is metabolized differently in your body and serves a variety of functions.
Monosaccharides
Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and consist of only one sugar molecule. Monosaccharides are essentially just a sugar molecule and are quickly absorbed by your body and used for immediate energy. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose, fructose and galactose, which all contain exactly one sugar molecule. Glucose, the most common monosaccharide, is primarily stored in your muscles and liver and provides fuel for your muscles and your brain.
Disaccharides
Disaccharides are another example of a simple carbohydrate, consisting of two sugar molecules joined together by a covalent bond. Sucrose, lactose and maltose are the most common types of disaccharides. Sucrose, or table sugar, is formed by combining one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose together. Lactose is comprised of one glucose molecule and one galactose molecule and is the type of disaccharide that is most commonly found in milk. Maltose is formed by combining two glucose molecules together and is primarily found in seeds and grains.
Oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharides are considered complex carbohydrates because they are comprised of multiple sugar molecules bound together to form a long chain. Oligosaccharides typically involve combining 3 to 10 sugar molecules together and serve multiple roles in your body. Different forms of oligosaccharides originate from various sources. Fructo-oligosaccharides, for example, are found in most vegetables and are formed by linking together many fructose molecules. Galacto-oligosaccharides are comprised of short chains of galactose molecules and are found in many beans and can be synthesized from animal milk.
Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are the most complex form of carbohydrates and consist of hundreds to thousands of sugar molecules linked together. Because polysaccharides are large molecules that contain lots of sugar, they are the greatest source of energy for your body. However, due to the complexity and the size of the sugar chains, polysaccharides take longer to digest and be absorbed by your digestive system than other types of simpler carbohydrates. The most common types of polysaccharides are glycogen and starch. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose and consists of hundreds to thousands of glucose molecules synthesized in your body. Starch is also comprised of linked glucose molecules, but is primarily found in potatoes, rice and wheat.
References
- "Anabolic Primer"; Phil Embleton and Gerard Thorne; 1998
- "Human Anatomy and Physiology"; Elaine N. Marieb; 2004
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