Carbohydrate:

Food belonging to the group consisting of sugars, starch, and glucose is called carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are vital for energy in humans.

Importance of Carbohydrates in Food:

Carbohydrates are the basic source of energy for all animals. Animals get their carbohydrates from their environment (compared with plants, which synthesize carbohydrates during photosynthesis). Carbohydrates require less water for their digestion. About half to 2/3 of the total calories every animal consumes daily is from carbohydrates. Glucose is the carbohydrate most often used as an energy source. It is metabolized during cellular respiration and part of the energy is used to synthesize ATP. Other useful carbohydrates are maltose, lactose, sucrose, and starch.

Energy value of carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates contain 04 kilocalories per gram.

Sources of carbohydrates:

Humans get carbohydrates from foods like bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals.