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Information on Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are cellulose which makes up many plant structures, they are sugars and starches which gives energy to perform vital functions to humans and animals. Carbohydrates commonly referred as 'Carbs' by common people has become a curse or boon for some who are obsessed weight watchers. There are mainly two types of carbohydrates – simple or monosaccharide and complex or polysaccharides. Simple carbohydrates are easily digested in the body and common examples include table sugar, white breads, pastes, fruits and other processed and refined foods. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest as they are also high in a component called fiber. These carbohydrates are commonly found in vegetables, whole grains, whole cereals, pulses, legumes, grain breads, and brown rice. Simply unprocessed and unrefined foods like brown rice would have more complex carbohydrates than the refined ones like white polished rice. This is because the refining and polishing process removes the fiber and other nutrients from the unrefined product. This is the reason when you feel more satiated and energized for a longer period of time when you eat a whole grain cereal like oat meal when compared to a sugary cereal. All carbohydrates are broken down in to sugar or glucose in the body and used by each cell of the body for energy.
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