What are Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods such as bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.
The component of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a mix of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are in these sugar molecules. Some contain hundreds of sugars.

Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories.
Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose).

Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren't so great .The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way,it breaks them down into single sugar molecules, since these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also turns most digestible carbohydrates into glucose , because cells are designed to use this as a energy source Fiber is an exception. It is put together in ways that can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so it passes through the body undigested. Fiber comes in two varieties: soluble fiber dissolves in water, while insoluble fiber does not. Neither type nourishes the body, they are healthy in many ways. Soluble fiber sticks to fatty substances in the intestines and carries them out as a waste, which lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol). It also helps regulate the body's use of sugars, which helps to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

Don't be misled by diets that make comments on the dangers of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.