The process of forming energy in the body from carbohydrates

The energy in the body is indeed produced from the food you eat. But can all food be used as energy in the body? Yes, the energy you get for doing physical activity every day is obtained from the food you eat, whether it's carbohydrate, protein, and fat food sources.

Even so, protein and fat will not be processed directly by the body into energy. It is different from carbohydrates which, when they enter the body, will be directly used as a source of energy. Then how can carbohydrate food sources be the main energy source? How quickly are carbohydrates converted to energy?

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body

You can find carbohydrates in various types of food, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, tofu, and of course rice. However, the main carbohydrate source is the staple food, because it contains quite a lot of carbohydrates when compared to other types of food. Foods that contain carbohydrates are broken down into simpler forms in the mouth, stomach and intestines. So that when it reaches the small intestine, its shape is very simple and is called a monosaccharide.

These monosaccharides are then absorbed by the body into the bloodstream. When monosaccharides are in the blood vessels, they are called blood sugar or glucose. The more food sources that contain carbohydrates you eat, the more glucose or blood sugar is formed.

How long does it take for carbohydrates to become energy in the body?

Sources of simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and sweet foods, will be broken down very quickly by the body because they are easy to digest. This makes it the fastest way to turn sugar into glucose or blood sugar, which is less than 15 minutes.

Complex carbohydrates such as rice, corn, rice noodles, noodles, and others take longer to become glucose. Complex carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index will take about 15 minutes to turn into blood glucose.

Unlike the types of foods that contain a low glycemic index, the process of these foods to be converted into glucose takes 15-30 minutes.

How then can it be energy in the body?

Usually the level of glucose in the blood will be high shortly after eating. At that time, the body will automatically send a signal to the pancreas gland - one of the digestive organs - to produce the hormone insulin.

The hormone insulin will enter the blood vessels and then tell the body's cells that the main energy source (glucose) is available. Furthermore, the insulin hormone will open the door so that glucose from the blood can enter the cells. Glucose that enters the body's cells, will be converted into energy.

However, not all body cells will use glucose as energy, the cells in the muscles and liver will store glucose as energy reserves. The stored glucose will be used when no food enters the body and the body experiences a lack of energy.

In the muscles, glucose will be used to carry out activities

Each cell will use the energy produced to carry out its respective functions. For example, the cells in the digestive system will use the energy produced to digest and carry out metabolism. Another with heart cells, which use energy from glucose to pump blood. Meanwhile, glucose that enters muscle cells will be used as a source of energy to carry out daily activities.

All the body movements you make, come from glucose which is processed into energy by the muscle cells. In a resting state, excess glucose is stored in muscle cells - known as glycogen - to be used when no food is coming in.

Excess carbohydrates will instead become fat reserves

Just like muscle cells, cells in the liver also store glucose when there is too much of it. However, this excessive amount of glucose will be stored in a different form. The liver converts too much glucose into triglycerides or what is commonly known as body fat reserves. Too much reserves of body fat or triglycerides can cause a person to experience various degenerative diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes mellitus.