Also called: Also called: Carbs
Carbohydrates are one of the main types of food. Your liver breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar). Your body uses this sugar for energy for your cells, tissues and organs.
Carbohydrates are called simple or complex, depending on how fast your body digests and absorbs the sugar. You get simple carbohydrates from fruits, milk products and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates include whole grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes. Complex carbohydrates and some simple carbohydrates provide vitamins, minerals and fiber. Products made with refined sugar provide little nutrition. It is wise to limit these products.
- Carbohydrates(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/carbs.html
- Carbohydrates(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/
- Carbohydrates and Sugars(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4471
- Breakfast May Alter Fat Burning during Exercise(04/21/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83215.html
- Fructose-Sweetened Drinks Up Metabolic Syndrome Risk(04/20/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83137.html
- Fewer Sugary Drinks Key to Weight Loss(04/02/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82474.html
- More News on Carbohydrates http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_c.html#carbohydrates
- Carbohydrate Content (in Grams) of Selected Foods per Common Measure(National Agricultural Library) - Large PDF file - http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR16/wtrank/sr16a205.pdf
- Choose Carbohydrates Wisely(Dept. of Agriculture) - Links to PDF - http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/pdfs/hhs_facts_carbohydrates.pdf
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Scoop on Whole Grains(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/wholegrains050609.html
- Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/whole-grains/NU00204/METHOD=print
- Facts about Fructose(American Dietetic Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/FRUCTOSE.pdf
- Facts about Sucralose(American Dietetic Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Sucralose.pdf
- Polyols: Sweet Benefits(American Dietetic Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Polyols_2008.pdf
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Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer: Questions and Answers
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners
- Artificial Sweeteners: A Safe Alternative to Sugar(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073/METHOD=print
- Artificial Sweeteners: Any Effect on Blood Sugar?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/artificial-sweeteners/AN00348/METHOD=print
- Carbohydrate Addiction(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4467
- Carbohydrate-Loading Diet(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/carbohydrate-loading/MY00223/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Glycemic Index and Diabetes(Joslin Diabetes Center) - http://www.joslin.org/managing_your_diabetes_698.asp
- High-Fructose Corn Syrup: What Are the Concerns?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588/METHOD=print
- Low Carb Diets and Your Lab Tests(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/news/diet040328.html
- Low-Carb Diets(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/low-carb-diet/NU00279/METHOD=print
- Carbohydrate Calculator(University of Maryland Medical Center) - http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/carbohydrate.asp
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Dietary Carbohydrates(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=%22Dietary+Carbohydrates%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Sweetening Agents(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Sweetening+Agents%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Advice for patients. Sugary drinks and childhood obesity. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19349575&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Increased sweetened beverage intake is associated with reduced milk and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19248869&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Gastrointestinal effects of low-digestible carbohydrates. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19234944&tool=MedlinePlus
- Carbohydrates -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=dietary+carbohydrates[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Sugar substitutes -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=sweetening+agents[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Nutrient Lists(Dept. of Agriculture) - Links to PDF - http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=15869
- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion - http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
- Food and Nutrition Information Center - http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/
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Carbohydrates, Sugar and Your Child(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/sugar.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/sugar_esp.html
- Is Aspartame Safe for My Child?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/question/aspartame.html
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Learning about Carbohydrates(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/carb.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/carb_esp.html
- Low-Carb Diet Facts: A Guide for Teens(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/low_carb.html
- Diabetic Diet - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabeticdiet.html
- Dietary Fiber - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfiber.html
- Dietary Proteins - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryproteins.html
- Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutrition.html
- Food and Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodandnutrition.html