How Do Carbohydrates Affect The Body

Carbohydrates are a large group of organic compounds which are found in certain foods which contain fibres, starches and sugars, these include, fruits, vegetables, grains and milk products. Carbohydrates play critical parts in all life shapes even thoughin trendy diets carbohydrates are usually avoided, they are still very important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, this is because they are one of the four major classes of biomolecules. (1)One of the roles of carbohydrates is energy production, carbohydrates supply energy to all cells in the body. Another role is energy storage, once sufficient energy has been used up by the body to support its functions the excess carbohydrates which turn into glucose whilst energy production is stored
They are also used in building macromolecules, most of the glucose is absorbed and is used to make energy, however, some glucose is converted to deoxyribose and ribose, these are essential for the building up of macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and ATP. Carbohydrates are also used for lipid metabolism. Nonetheless, despite of the fact that carbohydrates have many positive effects on the body it is argued whether or not carbohydrates are an essential nutrient. This essay will clarify the reason for why the body requires carbohydrates and why they are essential. (2)
Carbohydrates are sugars which the body breaks down into small units. The small intestines absorb the smaller units. The sugars then travel to the liver once they have entered the blood stream and are converted into glucose and fructose they are then convertedinto energy and used as an energy source for the body to carry out its functions. (1)Some people argue that glucose is needed for human survival and so therefore as glucose is from carbohydrates, they are vital.
However, organs such as the brain, liver and kidney do not just rely on carbohydrates to receive their energy. A process known as gluconeogenesis takes place in these organs when the body goes into a fasting period, intensive exercise or when there is a low-carbohydrate intake. The process of gluconeogenesis utilizes certain non-carbohydrate carbon substrates to produce glucose for energy.