Abstract
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in nutrition and usually provide 40-60% of the energy supply in western diets. The majority of the carbohydrate derived from a normal diet reaches the body's peripheral tissues as glucose.
Glucose is utilised by all cells and serves as metabolic fuel for muscle, liver, heart, kidneys and gut and as the obligate energy source for brain, renal medulla and erythrocytes. Glucose is the main carbohydrate utilized during foetal life; in the last trimester of pregnancy about 5 mg/kg per min (7 g/kg per day) of glucose crosses the placenta.
In parenteral nutrition (PN) carbohydrate is provided as dextrose (d-Glucose), in its monohydrate form. Dextrose usually contributes most to the osmolality of the PN-solution.