Essay on Dietary Carbohydrates: Essential Nutrients or Non-Essential?

This essay examines the controversial role of dietary carbohydrates, questioning whether they are truly essential nutrients for human health. It delves into the composition of carbohydrates, their impact on weight gain, and their relationship with insulin resistance. The essay presents arguments for and against the essentiality of carbohydrates, considering the effects of high carbohydrate intake on blood sugar levels and energy regulation. It also explores the potential negative impacts of low-carbohydrate diets. The author provides insights from various studies and expert opinions, offering a comprehensive analysis of carbohydrates' role in nutrition. The essay concludes by summarizing the key findings and offering a balanced perspective on the importance of carbohydrates in a healthy diet, considering both their benefits and potential drawbacks. The essay also includes illustrations of essential nutrients and carbohydrate food items.

Dietary carbohydrate is not considered
to be an essential nutrient

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................7

ILLUSTRATION INDEX
Illustration 1: ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR HUMAN BODY.................................................1
Illustration 2: CARBOHYDRATE FOOD ITEM...........................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Food is a substance which maintains the life and provides an energy which is necessary
for carrying out day to day activities. Food has different components and this component is
necessary for the health. The present essay is based on carbohydrates. These elements are a
mixture of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is also important for the good health, considered as a
fat item but for better development of skin is also important (Browning and Burgess, 2011). Due
to this, the present essay is based on the Dietary carbohydrate which is not considered to be an
essential nutrient and the reason behind this is that it considers lots of ingredients which increase
the weight. Essential nutrients have impact on health which has been covered in this essay.
MAIN BODY
According to Park and Park (2010), essential nutrients mean a nutrient which contains
lots of fats and fatty acid by their limited percentage which is important for the health. The Main
1
Illustration 1: ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR HUMAN
BODY

reason behind this is that they balance the diet nativity of nutrients. These nutrients include
essential amino acid, proteins fat, and many other things. On the other hand, Sporn (2012) says
that for human body, some essential nutrients are required which are based on water, energy,
amigo acid, etc. There are also some vitamins like, vitamin A, B, C and D. Moreover,
carbohydrates are not essential nutrients and the main reason behind this is carbon skeletons.
This amino acid gets change into glucose. On other hand, the absence of this essential nutrition
reduces the strength of body and amino acid put their side effect into the human body. Further, it
is also not essential for dogs because by using this, they reduce the energy level. As per my
opinion, carbohydrate has some negative effect on the body and on the other areas which are as
follows:
Weight gain
Every year approximately each American gain 20-25 kg weight just because of
consuming lot of carbohydrate food item. In these crisps, biscuits all are included. By using high
weigh products people capacity power goes down and they are not able to perform routine tasks.
Insulin Resistance
As per the views of Hussain and et.al., (2013), it is a hormone which is released by the
body and the main work which is done by these organs are, they have the blood sugar energy.
But when people use it as an essential carbohydrate this melts sugar and the energy level of
human bodies goes down. Further, it also shows lots of side effect which are based on health
problems.
In the same context, according to Mann and Truswell, (2012), the carbohydrate is a
universal fuel for the body parts and cell. It is the cheapest source of energy but in the absence of
this element the energy level of body goes down. The CHO considers approximately 50 grams
and minimizes the glucose need up to 100 g/d. It reduces the weight but it is also important for
the human body, the low carbohydrate diet put so many negative impacts which are as follows:
 Most of the carbohydrate is hidden in the liver and muscles. In the range of cell and the
number of carbohydrate in liver is 1500-2000. Lack of these things leads to pain in lower
part star and cannot perform well.
 For daily survival, body need 600 calories so if person do not consume carbohydrate
individual cannot perform well.
 The extra number of carbohydrate raises the fat.
2

 Low essential practices
 Reduce the muscle mass and metabolism drops.
 It increases the health problems which are based on constipation.
Carbohydrate are not essential for the human survival and the reason behind this is
carbohydrate it contains sugar and human body needs it for energy but the non-essential increase
the fat and so many problems which are related to carbohydrate. Further, as per my opinion, the
minimum daily requirements of carbohydrate is based on 20-35 gram in one day for a healthy
diet but when people eats potato, egg, chips and other fast food items then it increases from 50-
60 in one day. However, obtaining calories from fibers and minerals and the beat points as
compared to the fast foods and other products (Hussain and et.al., 2013). In carbohydrate no
vitamins are included but it is important for the daily routine. So it is concluded that
carbohydrate limited efficiency is important for the human body but it increases the immunity
system and reduces the side effects. There are some major carbohydrates which are necessary for
human body and they are as follows:
Side effects related to carbohydrate- Hussain and et.al., (2013) have stated that eating
too much carbohydrate increases the essential of glucose in the human body and it represents as a
fat. So it is important for humans to control the uses of carbohydrate products. On other hand
they will lead to two types of diabetes. It has negative impact on nerves, heart and kidney. But,
as per my perception, it also shows so many side effects like extra sleep, comma and cancer. All
are the major disadvantages of carbohydrate. Furthermore, there are also some negative points
which are based on the carbohydrate products and they are as follows:
Poor blood control- In accordance with Mann and Truswell, (2012), carbohydrate
manning the essential of sugar in human body and also maintains the level of energy. When
people consume high percentage of carbohydrate then the energy control power of human body
lost their control system and the body energy goes down. It also has side effect on cardiovascular
system.
3

Weight gain- Eating too much food and specially carbohydrate products are not good for
health and the main reason behind this is when people consumes too much carbohydrate food so
they feel sleepy and due to this, the weight of the human body increases. According to essay,
every year American increase their weight up to 20-30 kg, just because the high usages of
carbohydrate.
Brain fog- According to Dadd (2013), major disadvantage of carbohydrate is that it
decreases the cognitive functioning it is also known as brain fog. It means the sugar level of body
falling down so rapidly as compared with normal routine. So the neurons of human body cannot
store glucose due to these people go on comma.
The three function of nutrients:
Energy provider Development Body functions
Carbohydrate protein proteins
protein vitamins vitamins
Fats and oils Water and minerals products Water products
4
Illustration 2: CARBOHYDRATE FOOD ITEM

As per the views of Mann and Truswell, (2012), for better health, it is necessary to take
care about the health and eat limited percentage of carbohydrate and live happy and safe life. For
better safety eat oatmeal in breakfast and do not consume white potatoes at the time of dinner.
But, on the contrary, Dadd, (2013) has asserted that try to eat heath and green vegetables. The
retail firm of UK understand this problem so nowadays they have introduced low weight and
high protein food item so by using these things people can enjoy the taste of fast foods and they
can control their diets. Essential nutrients containing water, some vitamins like A, B, C and D,
some amino acid but non essential nutrients containing minerals, amino acid, carbohydrates so
people cannot contain it in the essential nutrients. As per my opinion, there is a difference better
the nutrients and non essential nutrients and they are as follows:
Essential nutrients(these nutrients are good
for health so it is important to add these item
In the diet)
Non-essential nutrients(it is necessary but the
overdose of these have some side effect on the
health so as per doctor consultancy try to avoid
them in the daily diet)
Water
some fatty acid
vitamins
Carbohydrate acids
minerals
amino acid
5

amino acid
sodium
phosphorous
some important vitamins for example vitamin
D
As per the above essay it shows that carbohydrates are not considered to be an essential
nutrient. They are the important for the human body but our human body can easily survive in
absence of these elements. Body need carbohydrates for generate glucose which are the most
important and perfect in human body. In the absence of these elements people do not do their
work because for every work they need energy (Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human
nutrition?, 2002). Glucose is the unit of ATP and the fundamental unit of energy. When the
supply of carbohydrates is low, amino acid covers this and converts it into glucose. On the other
hand, most of the carbohydrate products are used by the American people and they do not utilize
the same.
CONCLUSION
According to the present essay, it has been concluded that every mineral plays an
important role human body but the overdose of each have a negative impact. On other hand
carbohydrate is good for health but when people consume it in over dose so it increases the
weight and reduces the stamina of energy.
6

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Browning, J. D. and Burgess, S. C., 2011. Short-term weight loss and hepatic triglyceride
reduction: evidence of a metabolic advantage with dietary carbohydrate restriction. The
American journal of clinical nutrition. 93(5). pp.1048-1052.
Dadd, R. H., 2013. 8 Nutrition. Organisms. Regulation: Digestion, Nutrition, Excretion. 4.
p.313.
Hussain, J. and et.al., 2013. Essential oil composition and nutrient analysis of selected medicinal
plants in Sultanate of Oman. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease. 3(6). pp.421-
428.
Lankinen, M. and et.al., 2010. usuals with the metabolic syndrome. Nutrition, Metabolism and
Cardiovascular Diseases. 20(4). pp.249-257.
Mann, J. and Truswell, S., 2012. Essentials of human nutrition. Oxford University Press.
Park, S. H., Lee, K. S. and Park, H. Y., 2010. Dietary carbohydrate intake is associated with
cardiovascular disease risk in Korean: analysis of the third Korea National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III). International journal of cardiology.
139(3). pp.234-240.
Schlienger, J. L. and Monnier, L., 2011. L’épopée de la découverte des vitamines: The history of
the discovery of vitamins. Médecine des maladies Métaboliques. 5(6). pp.593-597.
Sporn, M. B. ed., 2012. The retinoids. Academic Press.
Vincent, J. B., 2010. Chromium: celebrating 50 years as an essential element?. Dalton
Transactions. 39(16). pp.3787-3794.
Online
Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition?. 2002. [Online]. Available through:
<http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long>. [Accessed on 9th May 2016].
7