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Carbohydrates are the chief source of energy for all body functions and muscular exertion. They are necessary for the digestion and assimilation of other foods. They help regulate protein and fat metabolism, and fats require carbohydrates to be broken down in the liver.

Carbohydrates are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules arranged structurally in the form of rings. Simple carbohydrates like glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), and galactose (milk sugar) are composed of one single ring and are called monosaccharides. Sucrose from sugar cane and sugar beets, maltose (which is a component of grains), and lactose (in milk) are composed of two rings linked together and are called disaccharides. The two rings in sucrose are made up of glucose plus fructose; maltose is glucose plus glucose; and lactose is glucose plus galactose. When individuals are said to be lactose-intolerant, it means that they lack the enzyme necessary to break the disaccharide links into a monosaccharide, an action necessary for further metabolism. Fiber is a carbohydrate but consists of very large molecules that are resistant to enzymatic action.

The human body, especially the brain, needs a constant supply of glucose. There are hormonal mechanisms that regulate glucose metabolism, a process that can go awry in cases of obesity and diabetes. Glucose levels that drop too low can result in weakness and fatigue. (A condition of low blood sugar is recognized as hypoglycemia. Minimizing sugar in the diet and eating small frequent meals focusing on whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, fresh fruits, and vegetables, lowfat dairy, yogurt, and fish can aid in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels can be stabilized with 200 mcg of chromium GTF. Hypoglycemia is often an indication of an underlying health condition.)

The body converts some of these simple sugars into a starch in which the molecules are larger and structurally different. This starch is called glycogen and is stored in the liver and muscles as a short-term energy reserve. The starch we obtain from plants (which the plants have converted, just like the human body, from glucose) consists of two kinds, amylose and amylopectin. Both are similar in structure and are glucose rings linked together in long chains. Amylopectin starch chains also branch out on the sides, which provides more surface area for enzymes to work on. This makes it easier and faster for the human body to convert amylopectin starch back into glucose. Glycogen also has this branching structure.

The conversion rate, or how fast the body turns starches into sugars, is a measure of the glycemic index (GI). Amylopectyin starches have a higher GI. High GI carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels quite rapidly, providing bursts of energy that may be followed by an energy let-down. Low GI starches, because they take longer to be converted into glucose, maintain blood sugar at normal levels and provide energy at a more sustained pace.

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