50: Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates Animation Video
Transcript:
Simple versus Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s chief energy source. They are categorized as either simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates include six sugars—fructose, glucose, galactose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose. Fructose, glucose, and galactose are each single sugar units.
The remaining three simple carbohydrates are two-sugar units composed of various combinations of glucose and an additional sugar as follows: Glucose + Galactose = Lactose; Glucose + Glucose = Maltose; Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose. Lactose is found in milk products.
Foods such as sweet potatoes and pears have high amounts of maltose. Sucrose is commonly known as table sugar, but also naturally occurs in foods such as fruits and honey.
In contrast, complex carbohydrates are composed of long chains of glucose. Starch is a complex carbohydrate which provides the body with energy.
During digestion, enzymes break the long starch chain into single glucose molecules which the body can use for energy. Common sources of starch in the diet include pasta, bread, and legumes.
Fiber is also a complex carbohydrate, however unlike starch, the chains cannot be broken by enzymes found in humans, and the fiber passes through the body largely undigested. Common sources of fiber in the diet include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.