Final answer:
Approximately 80% of digestible carbohydrates in a typical diet are converted into glucose, which is the main energy source for the body. The digestion process involves various enzymes breaking down complex carbohydrates and sugars into glucose. Glucose can be used immediately for energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
Step-by-step explanation:
A large percentage of carbohydrates in a typical diet are broken down into glucose. About 80% of digestible carbohydrates in a standard Western diet come from plant polysaccharides like amylose and include long chains of glucose, which is a major component of starch. Complex carbohydrates like glycogen as well as sugars such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose, are digested by your body's enzymes, and the majority of these carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is the primary energy source for your body. Carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth and continues in the small intestine, where enzymes such as pancreatic amylase and brush border enzymes like α-dextrinase, sucrase, lactase, and maltase break down these carbohydrates into monosaccharides, including glucose.
It is important to note that some fibers, like cellulose, are not digestible because human bodies do not produce enzymes to break them down, but they do provide crucial dietary fiber. In general, glucose derived from carbohydrates is the primary fuel for the body, and a high-carbohydrate diet mainly relies on blood glucose for energy. Glucose can be immediately used or stored in the liver and muscles for later use through glycogen, a storage form of glucose. As such, digestion of various types of carbohydrates, including starch and glycogen, ultimately leads to the production of glucose to meet the body's energy demands.