ABSTRACT

For many individuals there is often a lot of consideration given with regard to dietary car­ bohydrates. For instance, some weight loss diet programs may restrict carbohydrates as an energy source, while other programs will provide carbohydrates as more than 65% of total energy. Furthermore, endurance athletes may dedicate a large portion of their total energy consumption to carbohydrates to optimize performance. While there are both myths and truths to some of these theories, on a percentage basis, carbohydrates provide the greatest part of human energy intake, both in developed and underdeveloped countries world­ wide. Also, the involvement of carbohydrates, both in food and in human physiology, is not limited to just the provision of energy. Most dietary fibers are classified as carbohy­ drates, and, while dietary fiber does indeed provide a limited amount of energy to the human body, its role in digestive operations and perhaps disease prevention is much more significant.