Caloric Value of Carbohydrates

What is the Calorific value?

The amount of heat energy present in food or fuel is calculated by the full combustion of a defined quantity at constant pressure and under normal circumstances. Calorific power is another term for it. Kilojoule per kilogram, or KJ/Kg, is the calorific value unit. The combustion process produces water vapour, and specific procedures should be used to recover the heat. It has a high calorific value if the heat contained in water vapour can be retrieved. When the heat contained in water vapour cannot be retrieved because of its poor calorific value. The calorific value is what determines how efficient fuel or meal is. Its efficiency will be high if the value is high. If the value is low, the efficiency of the system will suffer as a result. Its efficiency is related to its calorific value. The calorific value of food refers to the total amount of energy that a human body can produce during metabolism, and it is measured in Kilojoules per 1000 grams or 100 millilitres. Food’s calorific content is commonly represented in kilocalories (kcal). Carbohydrates, protein, alcohols, roughage, and other macromolecules involved in the maintenance and metabolic processes all have a lower calorific value than fats.

Importance of Calorific Value

In order to carry out our daily activities, we must have a basic understanding of the calorific value of a fuel. This information aids us in determining how much energy we move. In order to bill gas customers, gas shippers and providers need this information. It also aids in calculating gas shippers’ and suppliers’ transportation costs. To perform daily tasks, the human body requires calories. The body would cease operating and the cells would perish if it didn’t have any calories. People could live a healthy lifestyle if they only consumed a certain number of calories every day. A calorie intake that is either too high or too low might lead to health issues.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are macronutrients that provide one of our body’s three primary energy sources. Carbohydrates are named from their chemical composition, which includes carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Sugars, fibres, and starches are all examples of carbohydrate nutrients. Grain, vegetables, fruits, and milk and other dairy products all contain them. They are the fundamental dietary categories that are essential for a healthy lifestyle. Carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down by the digestive system into glucose, or blood sugar. The cells, organs, and tissues in our bodies use this sugar as a source of energy. Our muscles and liver store the additional energy or sugar for later use. The word “carbohydrate” comes from the French phrase “hydrate de carbone,” which means “carbon hydrate.” This group of organic compounds has the general formula C_n(H₂O)_n.

Carbohydrates caloric value

The caloric value of carbohydrates is 4 Kcal per gram. Moreover, carbohydrates and proteins have the same caloric value per gram. The precise caloric value of fat, protein, and carbohydrate is 9.45, 5.65 and 4.1 Kcal/g respectively.

Classification of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are divided into simple and complicated categories depending on their chemical structure and polymerization degree.

Simple Carbohydrates (Monosaccharides, Disaccharides and Oligosaccharides)

One or two sugar molecules are present in simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs cause a spike in blood sugar levels because molecules are readily absorbed and transformed. Milk, beer, fruits, refined sugars, candy, and other foods contain a lot of them. Because they lack fibre, vitamins, and minerals, these carbs are known as “empty calories.” Plants generate glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) in the presence of sunshine utilizing basic materials such as carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis is the process through which solar energy is converted into chemical energy. Consumers eat plants and extract the energy stored in the bonds of plant-made molecules.

Complex Carbohydrates (Polysaccharides)

Starchy meals are complex carbohydrates that include two or more sugar units. When compared to simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and convert. Lentils, beans, peanuts, potatoes, peas, corn, whole-grain bread, cereals, and other legumes. Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates made up of a high number of monomers that have been polymerized together. Starch, glycogen, cellulose, and other polysaccharides are homopolymers containing just glucose units and display significant branching.

1. Amylose and amylopectin are two components of starch. Amylopectin is a branching chain that starts with amylose and ends with amylopectin.
2. Glycogen is also known as animal starch. It has a similar structure as starch, but with greater branching.
3. Cellulose is the principal structural component of the plant cell wall and is a structural carbohydrate. It’s a tensile-strengthening fibrous polysaccharide. Unlike starch and glycogen, cellulose polymerizes into a linear polymer.

Carbohydrate Foods

Sugar consumption causes an unnatural increase in calories, which leads to obesity and, in turn, malnutrition. As a result, to live a healthy life, a well-balanced diet must be followed. Dietitians emphasize the need for a well-balanced diet for this reason. Carbohydrates can be found in the following examples:

• Chitin
• Cellulose
• Starch
• Lactose
• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Maltose
• Galactose
• Glucose