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Definition: carbohydrates from The Penguin Dictionary of Science

An abundant class of biological molecules composed of carbon, with hydrogen and oxygen in a ratio of about two hydrogens and one oxygen per one carbon. Carbohydrates occur as ➤monosaccharides (such as ➤glucose), ➤disaccharides (such as ➤sucrose), ➤oligosaccharides and ➤polysaccharides (such as ➤starch) and are a principal source of energy intake for humans.

Carbohydrates

From Health Reference Series: Diet & Nutrition Sourcebook
What Are Carbohydrates? 1 Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. They are sometimes called “carbs” for short. If you have heard of low-carb diets, you may think carbs are bad for you. Well, eating some carbohydrates is important. They help your body store energy for later use. Keep reading to learn more about: Types of carbohydrates Choosing carbohydrates What Are the Types of Carbohydrates? The carbohydrate group includes simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Simple carbohydrates are “simple” because they are in the most basic form. They are also sometimes called simple sugars. They include the sugar in sugar bowls and in candy. They also include the kinds of sugar that are naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk. So, if fruit and candy both have sugar, why should you pick the fruit? Fruit has lots of other nutrients that are great for your health. An orange, for example, has vitamin C that is good for your skin. Complex carbohydrates are “complex” …
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Full text Article carbohydrates

From Library of Health and Living: The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health
A large class of organic compounds that includes sugars, starches, and fiber . Carbohydrates contain two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H 2 O) for each carbon atom, and the name carbohydrate relates to the apparent “hydrated carbons” in their chemical formulas. Carbohydrates represent such a…
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Full text Article Carbohydrates

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Digestion of carbohydrates Carbohydrates enter...
Carbohydrates are compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, linked together by energy-containing bonds. Carbohydrates are divided into two types: complex and simple. The complex carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber, are classified as polysaccharides. Simple carbohydrates are known…
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Full text Article Carbohydrates

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health
Carbohydrates (© 2015 Cengage Learning)
Carbohydrates are compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen linked together by energy-containing bonds. There are two types of carbohydrates: complex and simple. The complex carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber, are classified as polysaccharides. Simple carbohydrates are known as…
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Full text Article Carbohydrates

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets
Carbohydrates are compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, linked together by energy-containing bonds. There are two types of carbohydrates: complex and simple. The complex carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber , are classified as polysaccharides. Simple carbohydrates are known as…
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Full text Article Carbohydrates

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Fitness
(Electronic Illustrators Group/Gale, a Cengage...
Carbohydrates are compounds that consist of the three elements—carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen—linked together by energy-containing bonds. There are two types of carbohydrates: complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber, are classified as polysaccharides. Simple carbohydrates…
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Full text Article Carbohydrate

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Food Labels
Carbohydrate is one of the three major macronutrients, along with proteins and fats. Carbohydrate consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen linked together by energy-containing bonds. There are two types of carbohydrates: complex and simple. Simple carbohydrates are single sugar molecules called…
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Full text Article carbohydrates

From The Oxford Companion to Food
an important category of substances in food, include all sugars , starch , cellulose , hemicelluloses , pectin , and the various sorts of gum . They make up most of the solid matter in plants. Animals, however, whose solid matter consists mostly of proteins, contain only a little carbohydrate (apart…
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Full text Article carbohydrate

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Pathways for the utilization of carbohydrates.
Any member of a very abundant and widespread class of natural organic compounds that includes sugar s, starch , and cellulose . They are commonly classified as monosaccharide s (simple sugars; e.g., glucose , fructose ), disaccharides (2-unit sugars; e.g., sucrose , lactose…
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Full text Article Carbohydrate

From Black's Medical Dictionary, 43rd Edition
The term applied to an organic substance in which the hydrogen and oxygen are usually in the proportion to form water. Carbohydrates are all, chemically considered, derivatives of simple forms of sugar and are classified as monosaccharides (e.g. glucose), disaccharides (e.g. cane sugar) and…
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Full text Article carbohydrate

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Chemical compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with the basic formula C m (H 2 O) n , and related compounds with the same basic structure but modified functional groups . They are important to living organisms and, as sugar and starch, are an important part of a balanced human diet, …
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