Metabolism Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate metabolism

Carbohydrate metabolism is a type of metabolism that includes the processes of carbohydrates entering the body, their breakdown, absorption, biosynthesis of carbohydrates characteristic of a given organism, their breakdown and the release of final products.

Carbohydrates enter the body with food in the form of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and monosaccharides. In the digestive tract, under the action of enzymes, they are broken down into monosaccharides - glucose, fructose and galactose, which are absorbed into the blood.

Glucose is then used to produce energy through glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. It also synthesizes glycogen, a reserve polysaccharide in the liver and muscles. If necessary, glycogen is again broken down into glucose.

In addition, the body synthesizes various carbohydrates from glucose and other monosaccharides, which are necessary for building cellular structures and performing other functions.

The end products of carbohydrate breakdown are carbon dioxide and water, which are excreted from the body through respiration and urine.

Thus, carbohydrate metabolism provides the body with energy, carbohydrate structural components of cells and regulates blood sugar levels. Disturbances in this process can lead to the development of diabetes, obesity and other diseases.

Carbohydrate metabolism

This type of metabolism is directly related to the processes of breakdown and metabolism of carbohydrates in the human body. Each of us has a need for a constant supply of carbohydrates, which are necessary to satisfy a person’s daily physical activity.

They also help maintain energy balance, which can vary significantly from person to person. It is very important to learn how to properly distribute carbohydrates coming from food so as not to overload or saturate the body. It all depends on what functionality a particular person has and how he solves the current needs of his body.

The metabolism of carbohydrate substances is responsible for the correctness and completeness of food absorption. We can get carbohydrates from different sources - these could be dairy products, vegetables, fruits, sweets or grains. But how does the body absorb them?

The carbohydrate metabolic cycle consists of several stages: the intake of carbohydrates, their breakdown and the removal of the final metabolic product. When carbohydrates are broken down, glucose becomes the main source of energy, which then goes into the process of metabolism and saturation of our cells. This process can be divided into several stages, where: * carbohydrates in food are converted into glucose thanks to enzymes and molecules called enzymes; * glucose is redirected into the cell using glucose transporters, where it is delivered to the cytoplasm and cells begin to use it for metabolism; * when entering the cell, glucose binds to the glucose transport system, after which glucose transporters can no longer transport it; * further cellular transport occurs with the participation of the cell’s own carbohydrates (glycogen); * before removing glucose, the liver begins to convert it into a safe intermediate product and removes excess, excess glycogen accumulates in cells, which in turn affects the level of insulin in the blood, but this process is regulated by hormones; * metabolic processes continue at the cellular level, the release of energy stops. Then it enters into energy and delivers it to the body for our vital functions; when glucose is broken down (in the case of using the last reserves of glycogen), water and carbon dioxide are released, for the removal of which we use the respiratory system.