Sweet Indigestion
A Directed Case Study on Carbohydrates
Author(s)
Abstract
These days it seems like everyone is counting carbs. About 24 million Americans report they have cut carbohydrates from their diet, and 44 million more say they may try a low-carb diet in the next two years. But what do people really know about carbohydrates? This directed case study, designed for use in a large enrollment introductory course, teaches students how to recognize carbohydrates in the foods they eat and to differentiate between different classes of carbohydrates. Students learn how the body utilizes carbohydrates and discuss whether or not eliminating them from their diet can be healthful.
Objectives
- Recognize carbohydrates from a list of ingredients.
- Construct a rule for determining if foods contain carbohydrates.
- Practice differentiating between classes of carbohydrates on a food label.
- Investigate carbohydrate utilization by the body.
- Consider the issue of whether or not eliminating carbohydrates from one’s diet can be healthful.
Keywords
Carbohydrate; intestinal gas; undigested carbohydrate; starch, fiber; sugar; glucose; disaccharide; sucrose; polysaccharide; lactose; monosaccharide; cellulose; glycogen; dieting; food labelsTopical Areas
N/AEducational Level
High school, Undergraduate lower divisionFormat
PDFType / Methods
DirectedLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Biology (General) | Nutrition | Biochemistry |
Date Posted
10/13/04Teaching Notes
Case teaching notes are password-protected and access to them is limited to paid subscribed instructors. To become a paid subscriber, begin the process by registering.
Teaching notes are intended to help teachers select and adopt a case. They typically include a summary of the case, teaching objectives, information about the intended audience, details about how the case may be taught, and a list of references and resources.
Answer Key
Answer keys for the cases in our collection are password-protected and access to them is limited to paid subscribed instructors. To become a paid subscriber, begin the process by registering.