carbohydrates

Cultural  

1. Substances composed of long chains of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon molecules. Sugar, starch, and cellulose are all carbohydrates. In the human body, carbohydrates play a major role in respiration; in plants, they are important in photosynthesis.

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Carbohydrates in food provide energy for the body and, if present in excess, are stored as fat.

Example Sentences

But with obesity rates continuing to climb, researchers are beginning to question whether this reliance on staple carbohydrates still makes sense in modern diets.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Previous school food standards introduced in 2015 also included fruit and vegetable requirements, limiting sugar in drinks, and an emphasis on wholegrain foods instead of refined carbohydrates, like white bread or pasta.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

It binds only to carbohydrates found on bacteria and other microbes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Tables that seemed to sag gently under the weight of carbohydrates.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

The bacteria break down the cell walls of the grass and allow the cows to get at the protein and carbohydrates within.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan