--- title: Carbohydrates – it´s all in the mix description: Carbohydrates are chains of sugar molecules. While our organs and muscles can also burn fat, carbohydrates are the sole source of energy for the brain. Our bodies need carbohydrates to produce hormones and regulate our metabolism. While it is wrong to dismiss sugar as a useless calorie courier... image: https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Issue%205/csm_HOCHDORF-Inside-Carbohydrates_1c6fc20626.jpg --- [![Logo HOCHDORF iNSIDE_RGB](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Logo%20HOCHDORF%20iNSIDE_RGB.png?width=280&name=Logo%20HOCHDORF%20iNSIDE_RGB.png "Logo HOCHDORF iNSIDE_RGB")](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en) - [DE](https://inside.hochdorf.com/de) - [EN](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en) - [Corporate Website](https://www.hochdorf.com/) ![HOC_Ins_Header](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Header/Bimbosan/HOC_Ins_Header.jpg?width=1500&name=HOC_Ins_Header.jpg "HOC_Ins_Header") ## [Carbohydrates – it´s all in the mix](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/carbohydrates) ![Janny Vedder](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Portraitbilder%20Autoren/Janny-Vedder150x150.png) By [Janny Vedder](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/author/janny-vedder) - May 18, 2018 - - - ![Carbohydrates](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Issue%205/csm_HOCHDORF-Inside-Carbohydrates_1c6fc20626.jpg?width=1024&name=csm_HOCHDORF-Inside-Carbohydrates_1c6fc20626.jpg "HOCHDORF-Inside-Carbohydrates.jpg") [Carbohydrates are chains of sugar molecules. While our organs and muscles can also burn fat, carbohydrates are the sole source of energy for the brain. Our bodies need carbohydrates to produce hormones and regulate our metabolism. While it is wrong to dismiss sugar as a useless calorie courier, it is more important to focus on carbohydrates that are valuable in terms of healthy nutrition, known as complex carbohydrates.](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/baby-care/glossary/glossar-detail/term/carbohydrates/) ## Not all sugar is the same There are dif­fer­ent types of car­bo­hy­drates. ­Depending on the num­ber of sugar mol­e­cules we can dis­tin­guish be­tween sim­ple sug­ars, known as mono­sac­cha­rides, dou­ble sug­ars also called dis­ac­cha­rides, and mul­ti­ple sug­ars, which in­clude [poly­sac­cha­rides](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/baby-care/glossary/glossar-detail/term/polysaccharides/) and [oligosac­cha­rides](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/baby-care/glossary/glossar-detail/term/oligosaccharides/). The lat­ter are com­plex car­bo­hy­drates. Oligosac­cha­rides com­prise be­tween three and 10 sugar mol­e­cules; poly­sac­cha­rides con­tain at least 11. The most im­por­tant mono­sac­cha­rides are glu­cose and fruc­tose, while milk and gran­u­lated sugar are dis­ac­cha­rides. Com­plex sug­ars are found in pulses, ce­real prod­ucts and pota­toes, so car­bo­hy­drates are not al­ways sweet. ## How car­bo­hy­drates work Be­fore car­bo­hy­drates reach the blood stream, the body has to con­vert them into sim­ple sugar or glu­cose. As a re­sult, sim­ple and dou­ble sug­ars have an in­stant im­pact, but no long-term ef­fect on how full we feel. Com­plex car­bo­hy­drates, such as pota­toes, ce­real prod­ucts or pulses, are there­fore bet­ter en­ergy providers. But we need to dif­fer­en­ti­ate clearly be­tween the en­ergy source and the de­sired re­sponse: when we take part in sport it can make per­fect sense to reach for a fast im­pact car­bo­hy­drate to pre­vent a sud­den drop in per­for­mance. And we shouldn’t for­get that fruit and milk, which “only” con­tain sim­ple or dou­ble sug­ars also pro­vide us with vi­t­a­mins, min­er­als and fibre that are es­sen­tial for health. So there is no ideal car­bo­hy­drate or food. In the final analy­sis, it’s all in the mix. --- Further Information - Article ["Prebiotics in infant formula"](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/prebiotics-in-infant-formula?hsLang=en) ## Leave a comment ![Janny Vedder](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Portraitbilder%20Autoren/Janny-Vedder150x150.png) Written by [Janny Vedder](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/author/janny-vedder) ### Posts by Topic - [Baby Care (42)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/baby-care) - [Food Solutions (30)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/food-solutions) - [Nutrition & Innovation (14)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/nutrition-innovation) - [Corporate (3)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/corporate) ### Recent Articles ### Popular Articles #### Related posts [![Lactose tolerance – part of our European cultural heritage](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Online%20Artikel/Dairy%20Ingredients/HocIns_Header_Laktoseintoleranz.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage?hsLang=en) ##### [Lactose tolerance – part of our European cultural heritage](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage?hsLang=en) ![Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Mitarbeiter%20Fotos/C_PIC_inderbitzin_2018_Hochformat.jpg) By [Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage/author/monique-inderbitzin?hsLang=en) - February 8, 2023 [![VIOPLUS product innovation: like milk powder, but plant-based](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Ausgaben%20Online/HSN_CC_Blog_Header_VIOPLUS.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/like-milk-powder-but-plant-based?hsLang=en) ##### [VIOPLUS product innovation: like milk powder, but plant-based](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/like-milk-powder-but-plant-based?hsLang=en) ![Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Mitarbeiter%20Fotos/C_PIC_inderbitzin_2018_Hochformat.jpg) By [Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/like-milk-powder-but-plant-based/author/monique-inderbitzin?hsLang=en) - December 2, 2022 [![Product innovation: new Bimbosan Riso PH](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Ausgabe%2011/Riso%20PH_Blog%20klein.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/alternative-new-bimbosan-riso-ph-product?hsLang=en) ##### [Product innovation: new Bimbosan Riso PH](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/alternative-new-bimbosan-riso-ph-product?hsLang=en) ![Karin Bucher](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Portraitbilder%20Autoren/Karin-Bucher-150x150.png) By [Karin Bucher](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/alternative-new-bimbosan-riso-ph-product/author/karin-bucher?hsLang=en) - November 10, 2021 #### Contact Hochdorf Holding Ltd Siedereistrasse 9 Post office box 691 6281 Hochdorf Switzerland +41 41 914 65 65 [hochdorf@hochdorf.com](mailto:hochdorf@hochdorf.com) - - #### Site map - [Home](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/) - [Company](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/company/about-us/) - [Investors](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/investors/reports-presentations/) - [Media](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/media/press-releases/) - [Career](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/career/) - [Contact](https://hochdorf.com/en/contact/) #### Newsletter Subscription [![Subscribe to our newsletter](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3480252/53c6417d-812f-4360-94dd-d347bf4644b2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3480252/53c6417d-812f-4360-94dd-d347bf4644b2) [![Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg.png?width=4167&name=Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg.png "Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg")](https://www.hochdorf.com/en) © Hochdorf Ltd [Privacy Policy](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/privacy-policy/)  I  [Imprint](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/imprint/)