Calcium, for example, is a large part of bones and teeth. Our foods also contain various non-nutrients, substances that are not necessary for life or good health. Many of these substances, such as cholesterol, pesticides, herbicides, and additives, present real threats to our health. Even though these non-nutrients make up a small amount by weight of our foods, their health significance can be great, causing problems such as heart disease, cancer and allergies. Carbohydrates are made by plants and stored in their leaves, stems, roots, and fruits.
Plant foods contain both simple and complex carbohydrates in various amounts.
Fruits are often more than 90 percent carbohydrate, but most of their carbohydrates are the sweet-tasting simple forms of carbohydrate, such as glucose and fructose. Rice, corn, and other grains, and potatoes typically store about 80 percent of their calories in the form of complex carbohydrates. Beans, peas, and lentils are approximately 70 percent complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrate-loading several times a day will give you too the energy to race through your busy life. The only food from animals in which a carbohydrate is found in significant amounts is milk, which contains a simple sugar called lactose.