I have a soft spot for carbohydrates. That’s because they helped launch my scientific career. Many, many moons ago, my PhD research explored the subtleties in the molecular structure of simple carbohydrates using an instrumental technique known as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). My experiments had nothing to do with nutrition, but generally the first task of a fledgling scientist before engaging in a research project is to check the literature and see what is already known about the subject. As I dipped my toe into the carbohydrate pond, it quickly became obvious that this was no mere pond; it was an ocean.

The term “carbohydrate” was originally assigned to substances based on their elemental composition. They all seemed to conform to the formula Cm(H2O)n, suggesting that they were “hydrates of carbon,” with “hydrate” referring to any substance that contains water. While the formula does generally hold, carbohydrates actually make up a whole family of compounds with starches, cellulose and simple sugars being prime examples.

Besides being the body’s main source of energy, “carbs” affect our lives in numerous ways. Cotton fibres are made of cellulose, a carbohydrate composed of glucose molecules linked together in long chains. Nitrocellulose, made by reacting cellulose with nitric and sulphuric acids, is the basis of celluloid, the world’s first synthetic plastic. Cellulose acetate is used to make eyeglass frames as well as coatings for playing cards. Another modification of cellulose yields carboxymethyl cellulose, a thickening agent used in ice cream and in most cosmetic creams.

Starch, just like cellulose, is a polymer of glucose, but the glucose units are linked together in a........

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