Glossary
Carbohydrates and diet: physiological, nutritional and health aspects

carbohydrates; carbohydrates

Saccharide" or "carbohydrate" polyalcohols incorporate either a ketone function (CO) or an aldehyde function (CHO). Generally speaking, their gross formula can be written as follows: (CH ₂ O) _n , where n is greater than or equal to 3. They are classified according to their degree of polymerization (DP) thresholds. Publications, in terms of carbohydrate classification, differ according to carbohydrate polymerization degree thresholds. In 1998, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization established the following classification:

• sugars, with a DP of 1 and 2, including monosaccharides, disaccharides (or diosides) and polyols;

• oligosaccharides...