Activity-2- Group 1 Final -Macronutrients – Carbohydrates

1. What is the importance of the following to the body? a. Insoluble fiber attracts water into your stool, making it softer and easier to pass with less strain on your bowel. Insoluble fiber can help promote bowel health and regularity. It also supports insulin sensitivity, and, like soluble fiber, may help reduce your risk for diabetes. b. Soluble Fibers attracts water and forms a gel-like substance with food as it's digested. This in turn slows down digestion and helps you feel full faster, which is important in weight management. It may also help lower your risk of heart disease, regulate your blood sugar, and help reduce LDL cholesterol. 2. What is ketosis? Ketosis is a metabolic state in which there’s a high concentration of ketones in the blood. This happens when fat provides most of the fuel for the body, and there’s limited access to glucose. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred fuel source for many cells in the body. It is a process that happens when your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy. Instead, it burns fat and makes things called ketones, which it can use for fuel. 3. What are the harmful effects of excessive fiber intake? Even though fiber has numerous benefits, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Since fiber is not actually digested by the body, the digestive tract has a slightly more difficult time moving it through the system. Typically, this isn’t a problem for the digestive tract but if you fill it with too much fiber, you might experience cramping, bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort as your body attempts to work through the bulk. And if you’re not drinking enough water to help move the bulk through your system, constipation is common 4. How does the body make glucose from protein? Excess amino acids must be converted into other storage products or oxidized as fuel. Therefore, the excess ingested protein could, through the process of gluconeogenesis, produce glucose. When glycogen is used up, muscle protein is broken down into amino acids. The liver uses amino acids to create glucose through biochemical reactions (gluconeogenesis).