Discuss the following statementCarbohydrates are not considered to be an essential nutrient - Essay Example

Carbohydrates – An Essential Nutrient? Order No. 253235 No. of pages: 2 Premium 6530 Carbohydrates are one of the six essential nutrients that are indispensable to the body because they help to regulate the different body functions. Essential nutrients consists of chemical elements present in food which help the body in many different ways such as promoting healthy growth, repairing body tissues, regulating various processes within the body and preventing illness. Besides Carbohydrates, the other essential nutrients are – Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals and water.

Carbohydrates are one of the major essential sources of food responsible for giving us good energy to work and perform our duties well. It is very easily digestible and is a much cheaper source of energy than proteins or fats. Carbohydrates are made up of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen and should constitute 40 to 50% of our daily diet. Carbohydrates chief dietary sources come from cereals, bread, potatoes, corn, pasta, fruits, peas, sugar and any kind of syrup. “Additionally, carbohydrates and their derivatives play major roles in the working process of the immune system, fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development.

” Maton, Anthea; Jean Hopkins, Charles William McLaughlin, Susan Johnson, Maryanna Quon Warner, David LaHart, Jill D. Wright (1993).The most basic units of Carbohydrates are called Monosaccharides which include glucose, fructose and galactose. These monosaccharides can be combined with each other to make polysaccharides (oligosaccharides) in many different ways. However, according to Westman in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Carbohydrates are not essential nutrients in humans: the body can obtain all its energy from protein and fats.

” (Westman) One of the reasons for this notion is that both the brain and the neurons are not capable of burning fat and therefore rely on glucose to supply the energy. The body is quite capable of preparing glucose from some of the amino acids present in protein.Besides this, humans make use of only some of the carbohydrates for fuel or energy, whereas some types of carbohydrates could be made use of only with the help of gut bacteria. Considering the risk of heart diseases and also obesity, the Institute of Medicine recommended that American and Canadian adults get between 40-65% of dietary energy from carbohydrates.

” (Food and Nutrition Board, 2002/2005)The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization jointly recommend that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55-75% of total energy from carbohydrates, but only 10% directly from sugars (their term for simple carbohydrates) (WHO/FAO expert consultation (2003) Therefore for all these reasons, certified food scientists and dieticians the world over do not consider carbohydrates to be an essential nutrient and so classify them as either simple or complex carbohydrates.

ReferencesEssential Nutrientswww.acad.fcps.org/fon/essentialnutrients.htmFood and Nutrition Board (2002/2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Page 76Joint WHO/FAO expert consultation (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (PDF). Geneva: World Health Organization. Pages 55-56.Maton, Anthea; Jean Hopkins, Charles William McLaughlin, Susan Johnson, Maryanna Quon Warner, David LaHart, Jill D.

Wright (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall, 52-59.Westman, Is Dietary Carbohydrates essential for human nutrition? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 75 (5): 951.