ABSTRACT
Carbohydrates are a ubiquitous part of human and animal diets. Their abundance and omnipresence are difficult to overestimate. Carbohydrates provide clothing and shelter as the cellulose of cotton and wood, a means of communications as the cellulose of paper, dietary nutrients and fiber as starch and β-glucans, and the basis for most beverages ranging from fruit juice and soft drinks to cognac. The starch of most plant-derived foods and beverages is derived from either seeds or tubers. The properties of these are determined largely by their carbohydrate and protein components.
