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Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Macronutrients and Water

Carbohydrate

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

/ˌkɑːrboʊˈhaɪdreɪt/nounCore term

In nutrition & dietetics, carbohydrate means: A macronutrient found in foods such as bread, rice, fruit, legumes and milk. The body breaks it down mainly into glucose, its main source of energy; it gives about 4 kcal per gram.

In Turkish: karbonhidrat

How it is used

Very common in clinical and everyday talk, often shortened to 'carbs'. Dietitians discuss carbohydrate intake, carbohydrate counting for diabetes, low-carb diets and the difference between simple sugars and complex carbohydrates such as starch and fiber.

Example sentences

  1. Carbohydrate counting helps people with type 1 diabetes match their insulin to their meals.

  2. Most of his carbohydrates come from white bread and sugary drinks.

Common collocations

  • carbohydrate intake
  • carbohydrate counting
  • low-carb diet
  • refined carbohydrates
  • complex carbohydrateA carbohydrate made of long chains of sugar units, such as starch and fiber, found in grains, legumes and vegetables. It is usually digested more slowly than simple sugars.
  • dietary fiberThe parts of plant foods that the human small intestine cannot digest, found in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. It supports bowel function and can help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
  • blood sugarThe amount of glucose in the blood at a given time. The body keeps it within a narrow range using hormones such as insulin and glucagon.
  • glycemic indexA scale from 0 to 100 that ranks carbohydrate foods by how quickly they raise blood sugar compared with pure glucose, which has a value of 100.
  • macronutrientA nutrient that the body needs in large amounts, measured in grams: carbohydrate, protein and fat. Water is sometimes included in this group too.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Macronutrients and Water

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.