3.4.2. Digestion, Absorption and Metabolism of Carbohydrates

3.4.2. Digestion, Absorption and Metabolism of Carbohydrates

The most abundant carbohydrates ingested by human beings are the polysaccharides, starch and cellulose, furnished by plant foods and glycogen, provided by foods of animal origin .

The energy needed to run the human body is obtained from ingested, digested and absorbed food through a multistep process that involves several different catabolic pathways.

The digestion, begins in the mouth, continues in the stomach, and is completed in the small intestine. The end products of digestion -glucose and other monosaccharides from carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood, carried to the liver and transported to the body's cells.

Last modified: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 9:57 AM