Chemical Composition and Types of Carbohydrates

Ever wonder why some foods taste sweet whilst others don't, even though they're both carbs? It all comes down to molecular structure. Carbohydrates are built from just three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which plants combine using energy from the sun.

There are two main categories you need to know: simple carbohydrates (sugars) and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides). Simple carbs include monosaccharides - single sugar molecules like glucose (in ripe fruits), fructose (in honey), and galactose (in breast milk). When two of these join together, they form disaccharides like sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar), and maltose.

Complex carbohydrates are massive molecules made mostly from glucose units linked together. Unlike simple sugars, they don't taste sweet because they're too large for your taste buds to detect. Starch stores energy in plants and consists of two parts: amylose and amylopectin, both glucose polymers arranged in chains and branches.

Quick Tip: Remember that cellulose is also made from glucose, but humans can't digest it - that's why it's called dietary fibre and helps keep your digestive system healthy!