Carbohydrates — fiber, starches and sugars — are essential food nutrients. Your body turns carbs into glucose (blood sugar) to give you the energy you need to function.
What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are sugars in food. Carbohydrates also are the parts of food that the body doesn't digest, called fiber. Carbohydrates are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and dairy products. Carbohydrates also may be added to processed foods.
A carbohydrate is a naturally occurring compound, or a derivative of such a compound, with the general chemical formula C x (H 2 O) y, made up of molecules of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). Carbohydrates are the most widespread organic substances and play a vital role in all life.
Carbohydrates are central to nutrition and are found in a wide variety of natural and processed foods. Starch is a polysaccharide and is abundant in cereals (wheat, maize, rice), potatoes, and processed food based on cereal flour, such as bread, pizza or pasta.
Find out what carbohydrates are, what they do, why we need them, how many carbs we should eat every day, and how to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.