TABLE 1.
Classification of carbohydrates according to average DP and their main properties1
| Effects |
|||||||
| Carbohydrate | Example | Average DP | Digestion | Fermentation | Upper GIT | Colon | Food source |
| Monosaccharides | Glucose, fructose, galactose | 1 | Complete | Fruit (juice) | |||
| Disaccharides | Sucrose, lactose, maltose | 2 | Complete | Cane and root beet sugar, candy, soft drinks, milk, beer | |||
| Lactulose | Not digested | Good | Delayed GE | F | |||
| Oligosaccharides | Raffinose, stachyose, kestose, verbascose, nystose | 3–9 | Good | Legumes, beans (stachyose), sweet potatoes (raffinose), wheat | |||
| Maltodextrin | 3–9 | Good | Potatoes, wheat | ||||
| Fructo-oligosaccharides | 3–9 | Not digested | Good | No | F | Leeks, onions, soybeans | |
| Galacto-oligosaccharides | 3–9 | Not digested | Good | No | F | Fruit | |
| Arabino-xylo-oligosaccharides | 3–9 | Not digested | Good | No | F | Wheat | |
| Polydextrose | 3–9 | Not digested | Good | No | F | ||
| Polysaccharides | Inulin | >9 | Not digested | Very good | No | F | Chicory, onion |
| Starch: freshly cooked | >9 | Complete | Warm potatoes | ||||
| Raw cereals | >9 | Complete | Grains | ||||
| Resistant starch2 | >9 | Not digested | Variable | Variable | F + stool bulk | Green bananas, cold potatoes | |
| Cellulose, hemicelluloses | >9 | Not digested | No | Small | Stool bulk | Vegetables | |
| Pectin | >9 | Variable | Variable | F + stool bulk | Vegetables | ||
| Gums | >9 | Good | Viscosity ↑ | F | Vegetables | ||
| Related compounds | Lignin | >9 | Not digested | No | Stool bulk | Wheat, vegetables | |
1
The classification of carbohydrates and their main properties was adapted from the European Food Safety Authority Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition Allergies (11) and Jones (12). DP, degree of polymerization; F, fermentation; GE, gastric emptying; GIT, gastrointestinal tract; ↑, increase.
2
Resistant starch includes physically inaccessible starch (RS1), resistant granules (RS2), and retrograded amylose (RS3).