Nutrients of the Human Body: What is the Role of Fiber and Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of the most essential nutrients that the human body depends on for everyday life. They help the body with its energy supply. Carbohydrates can appear in foods in three ways, as starches, sugars, and fiber. They naturally occur in foods like vegetables, fruits, and milk. Sugar cannot be directly used for energy by the body, so it must first be converted into glucose so that it can be used to power cells within the body.

Both plants and animals alike both need carbohydrates in order to survive. However, the manner in which they store it is very different. In plants, carbohydrates are stored as starch, while in humans and other animals, the glucose made from these carbohydrates and stored as glycogen. When an animal eats a plant, the starch that the plant contained is transferred into the animal. The animal then takes this newly eaten starch and uses it for energy, with any leftover being converted into glycogen so that it can be stored for later. However, if a human or animal eats another animal, then the glycogen that the animal had stored up will not be transferred to the predator. For the most part, foods that come from animals do not contain any carbohydrates, the only exceptions being milk and honey.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that includes parts of plants that are indigestible by humans. Foods such as beans, nuts, and vegetables are typically fairly high in fiber content. Humans cannot digest fiber, but it is important for other functions in the human body. For example, it helps food pass through the large intestines and prevents constipation.

People need to make sure that they eat the correct type of carbohydrates to ensure a healthy diet. Studies have shown that people who eat a diet rich with high fiber carbohydrates typically have fewer diseases. Other foods that are high in sugar content can be harmful to people and can lead to things such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A lot of processed foods can contain types of carbohydrates that are not very healthy for humans, so you need to carefully watch what you eat.

Source:

Benitz, Bill. Lecture: Human Biology. December 4, 2009