Carbohydrate

A carbohydrate is an organic compound with general formula C''m''(H2O)''n'', that is, consisting only of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the last two in the 2:1 atom ratio. Carbohydrates can be viewed as hydrates of carbon, hence their name.

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of the most important food groups in the diet. They provide essential elements that the body needs for instant energy production and various vital functions.

Carbohydrate Structure

Carbohydrate Metabolism

Carbohydrate Monosaccharides

Foods High in Carbohydrates

Latest Carbohydrate News and Research

Holder vs Retort: How milk pasteurization shapes preterm infants’ gut health

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that pasteurization methods shape the gut microbiomes of preterm infants fed donor human milk. Holder pasteurization preserved microbial diversity and beneficial taxa better than Retort, producing microbiomes more similar to those from mothers’ own milk.

17 Sep 2025

Can changing food texture reduce how much we eat? Dutch study investigates

A new randomized controlled trial protocol from the Netherlands will test whether altering the texture, and thus the eating rate, of ultra-processed foods can reduce daily energy intake. The study will investigate how sensory properties, such as food hardness, affect metabolism, appetite, and microbiome composition.

16 Sep 2025

Ketogenic diets may lower migraine frequency and medication use

This narrative review argues that the migraine brain is hypometabolic, with converging evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired glucose handling, neuroinflammation, microbiome shifts, and obesity-related pathways. It proposes ketogenic diets as a plausible preventive strategy that may reduce monthly migraine days and medication use, while emphasizing the need for larger, rigorous randomized trials and careful clinical oversight.

14 Sep 2025

Female-specific mechanism enhances heat production in brown fat

Higher activity of PGC-1α enables brown fat cells in females to thermogenic activity and energy expenditure compared to males, reveals a study conducted in Japan.

12 Sep 2025

Mushrooms deliver nutrition medicine and sustainability solutions in one package

This Food Science & Nutrition review highlights mushrooms as nutrient-rich functional foods packed with bioactive compounds that support human health. It explores their therapeutic, industrial, and environmental applications, from disease prevention and drug discovery to bioremediation and bioenergy.

8 Sep 2025

Can cereal microgreens become the next sustainable superfood?

Rich in vitamins and minerals, cereal microgreens offer superior nutritional benefits over mature grains, supporting health and addressing dietary deficiencies.

5 Sep 2025

How fiber intake shapes your gut microbes’ digestion strategy

A study reveals how gut bacteria shift from fiber to mucus digestion, linking this change to inflammation in healthy adults and introducing the Muc2Plant ratio.

5 Sep 2025

Healthy grain foods linked to improved diet quality and metabolic markers

With so much confusion around what makes a grain food truly healthy, new research now offers a clearer picture: a combination of grain foods can support better nutrition and metabolic health when they deliver on nutrient density.

4 Sep 2025

How raspberry leaf tea reduces insulin surges from table sugar

Trial shows that raspberry leaf tea blunts sucrose-induced glucose and insulin surges, offering a natural strategy for moderating blood sugar without the side effects of pharmaceutical enzyme inhibitors.

2 Sep 2025

Compounds show significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase

Three of the compounds demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, a key enzyme in carbohydrate digestion. The findings could pave the way for new functional food ingredients targeting type 2 diabetes.

2 Sep 2025

Scientists develop promising broad-spectrum antiviral targeting deadly viruses

Researchers at the Nanoscience Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have made a breakthrough in the fight against viral diseases.

28 Aug 2025

Scientists rank the healthiest grains using new nutrition scores

Two new scoring systems reveal that Americans who eat more nutrient-dense grains, whether whole or fortified, have better diets, lower obesity rates, and improved metabolic health. The cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data shows that these “healthy grains” are also affordable and widely available.

20 Aug 2025

Could chlorophyll become the next antidiabetic therapy?

Research highlights chlorophyll's role in blood sugar regulation and insulin mimicry, though safety risks and lack of human trials warrant caution.

20 Aug 2025

Omega-3 rich diet linked to lower risk of childhood myopia

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils, may help ward off the development of short sightedness (myopia) in children, while a high intake of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil, and red meat, may boost the risk of the condition, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

20 Aug 2025