For a 2,000-calorie diet, this amounts to a maximum of 22 grams of saturated fat if youâre healthy, or just 15.5 grams if youâre worried about your heart. These fat grams take up some of your total fat gram allowance for the day.
Carbohydrates have six major functions within the body: 1  Providing energy and regulation of blood glucose. 2  Sparing the use of proteins for energy. 3  Breakdown of fatty acids and preventing ketosis. 4  Biological recognition processes. 5  Flavor and Sweeteners.
There are three main types of carbohydrates: starches, sugars and dietary fiber. Starches and sugars are considered the energy-yielding carbohydrates because they are fully digestible and, once absorbed, they provide the body with 4 calories of energy per gram of carbohydrate.