ANC-1 What are available and non-available carbohydrates? Briefly explain their significance in terms of maintaining good health.

ANC-1 What are available and non-available carbohydrates? Briefly explain their significance in terms of maintaining good health.

IGNOU ANC-1 Solved Assignment 2018-2019 

Application Oriented Course in Nutrition for the Community

Assignment Code: ANC-1/AST-1/TMA-1/2018-19 

ANC-1 Solved Assignment Question 1

b) What are available and non-available carbohydrates? Briefly explain their significance in terms of maintaining good health. (2)

Answer:

The term carbohydrate refers, to a large family of organic compounds essentially made of three elements i.e. carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are classified into three major categories-starch, sugar and fibre. Carbohydrates are also classified as available (starch, sugar) and non-available carbohydrates (fibre). Available carbohydrates i.e. sugar, and starches are digestible in the human body. The chief end product of digestion of sugar and starches is glucose. The main function of available carbohydrates is to furnish energy for the functioning of the body.

The presence of carbohydrates in the diet takes care of the energy needs of the body and hence spares proteins for their chief function of growth and body-building. Some amount of carbohydrate is needed for the proper utilization of fat in the body. Presence of carbohydrates in the diet prevents the body from breaking down too much fat for energy. In case of deficiency of carbohydrates in the diet, more fat will be broken down to meet the energy requirements of the body. This is harmful because the excessive fat breakdown can result in accumulation of by-products of fat metabolism. The accumulation causes a problem and can affect health.

Cellulose and certain other large carbohydrate molecules that cannot be digested in the human digestive tract are collectively referred to as fibre or non-available carbohydrates. The non-available carbohydrates are indigestible in the human digestive tract but have many beneficial functions in the body like increasing the satiety value of food, helping in easy elimination of faeces or waste products from the body and the prevention of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer of the colon i.e. large intestine.