Carbohydrates in biological system

Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes, ketones, alcohol, acids, their simple derivatives and their polymers having linkages of the acetal type.

Carbohydrates are an essential component of the human diet responsible for supplying energy to the host and its complex gastrointestinal microflora, but also for having an overall role in physiology including maintaining gastric function, hepatic metabolism and glycosylation of lipids and proteins necessary for other physiological functions.

Each gram of starch or sugar gives four calories to the body. About 65 top 80 –percent of energy is supplied by the carbohydrates, mainly in the form of starch.

Some of this energy is used as glucose to supply immediate energy needs of the body, a small portion is stored as glycogen (about 350 g) mainly in the muscles and liver; and any excess intake is converted to fat and stored as adipose tissue. Glucose is the source of energy for the central nervous system.

Another important function is to spare proteins for their main function of tissue building and maintenance. It is important to supply sufficient carbohydrates and fats to meet the essential energy needs of the body, otherwise proteins are metabolized to meet energy requirement of the body.

A third functions is related to proper utilization of fat from the diet. It is that fats burn in the flame of carbohydrates, indicating the need for major part of energy to be supplied in the form of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate-containing foods are vehicles for important micronutrients and phytochemicals. Dietary carbohydrate is important to maintain glycemic homeostasis and for gastrointestinal integrity and function.

Certain carbohydrates have special role in the body. Lactose aids the absorption of calcium, Ribose a five carbon sugar, is a part of the important compounds DNA and RNA. Cellulose and other indigestible carbohydrates aid the movements of food through the digestive tract by their capacity to absorb water and help to maintain muscle tone.

There are many researches linking the consumption of complex nonstarch polysaccharides with a reduced risk of chronic disease including diabetes, cardiovascular and cancers.
Carbohydrates in biological system

What is fats?

Fat is an essential component of a healthy diet. Human brains are made up of 70 percent fat and layer of fat surrounds the heart and acts as an emergency source of energy. Fat is a component of a human cells. Human need it to absorb fat-soluble nutrients.

Fats are glyceryl esters of fatty acids. Fats, as do carbohydrates, contain the elements carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, but the proportion of oxygen in fats is less, and it can be can said that fats are fuel foods of a more concentrated type than are the carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates and fats are interchangeable as fuel foods, but it can be shown, by calorimeter, that fats produce more than twice the heat energy produced by carbohydrates. One gram of fats yields 9 cal, while 1 gram of carbohydrate yields 4 cal. An additional advantage of fat form viewpoint of energy availability is that it stores well in large amounts in adipose tissues. Thus fat, considered to be a reserve form of fuel for the body, is an important source of calories.

Paradoxically, this is not advantageous in affluent societies where the problem is not the availability of food for energy, but rather the health hazard of obesity. Fats may occur in foods as materials that are solid at room temperatures or as oils that are liquid at room temperatures.

Solid fats contain comparatively small amounts of fatty acids with two or more groups of adjacent carbons that are not fully saturated with hydrogen.
What is fats?

Roles of coenzyme Q10 in human body

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin substance naturally found in all parts of the body the action of which resembles that of vitamin E. It may be an even more powerful antioxidant. It is also called ubiquinone.

Coenzyme Q10 is a fundamental ingredient in the energy production that keeps those trillions of cells running smoothly. A shortage of coenzymes Q10 translates into an energy crunch, with cell running on weak batteries. It aids circulation, stimulates the immune system, increases tissue oxygenation, and has vital anti-aging effects.

Besides generating energy, coenzyme Q10 is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants. It protects body against radicals, the destructive molecular fragments that cause accelerated aging and degenerative diseases.

Coenzyme Q10 is especially well-known for its ability to prevent cellular damage during and following a heart attack (myocardial ischemia and reperfusion).

There are ten common substances designated coenzyme Qs, but coenzyme Q10 is the only one found in human tissue. Deficiencies of coenzymes Q10 have been linked to periodontal disease, diabetes and muscular dystrophy. Supplemental has ability to counter histamine and therefore beneficial for people with allergies, asthma or respiratory disease.

Coenzyme Q10 is used by many health care professional. To treat anomalies of mental function, such as those associated with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also benefiting in fighting obesity, candidiasis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

Orally it is used therapeutically in the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders, including angina pectoris, hypertension, high blood cholesterol and congestive heart failure.
Roles of coenzyme Q10 in human body

Carbohydrate as a source of energy

Fats and carbohydrates are equally important sources of energy when the body at rest and at low-levels of exercise, such as a slow walks.

During short term, intense exercise, carbohydrates are the main source of energy. Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are classified as either simple or complex, based on the number of sugar molecules present.

Carbohydrate in the form of glycogen is the most readily available energy source. Compared to fat, carbohydrate provides energy more quickly, can be used whether or not oxygen is present and serves as the sole source of energy for the central nervous system.

During prolonged exercise, fats become the main energy source, and the shift from carbohydrate to fat utilization (carbohydrate sparing) is enhanced by physical training.

For the people of many countries, 80% of their total daily calories come from complex carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate such as starches and sugars are an efficient and readily available energy source especially for the brain. They are also necessary for fat and protein metabolism. Carbohydrates provide energy with 4 calories per gram.

Plentiful stores of carbohydrates in the body are important for excelling in physical activity, especially endurance exercise. During exercise utilization of carbohydrate accelerates an increased release for glucose from the liver is functionally important to maintain blood glucose homeostasis and to possibly attenuate muscle glycogen glycogen depletion.

If inadequate carbohydrate is available, the body burns protein for energy. This protein comes from food and from the body’s own muscle tissue.

Therefore, in cases of inadequate carbohydrate and protein intake, not only would muscle wasting occur, but adequate proteins would not be available for repair of body tissue.
Carbohydrate as a source of energy