Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving nutrients. Spare protein not needed for growth or repair can also be broken down and used for energy.

Energy is needed for activity, but even when we are resting, we need energy. For instance, the body needs energy to remain warm, for the hearth to pump blood around the body, and for the lungs to take in air.

The energy value of foods is measured in a unit of heat called the calorie. Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein.

Carbohydrates are made by plants from carbon dioxide and water. This process is called photosynthesis and uses energy from the sun.

After digestion, carbohydrates are converted into glucose, a simple sugar. This glucose is passed to all parts of the body for use as energy.

If people eat more carbohydrates than they use as energy, the spare carbohydrates is stored in the body as fat.

Researchers have discovered that fats affect the amount of a substance in the blood called cholesterol. Cholesterol in the blood can cause heart disease. As a result of this, fat should be eaten less in our daily diet as to maintain our health.