The Differences And Similarities Between Carbohydrates Lipids And Proteins

Eating balanced meals with all three macronutrients helps your body stay in tip-top shape.

Image Credit: BURCU ATALAY TANKUT/Moment/GettyImages

In This Article

    Carbs
  
    Lipids
  
    Proteins
  
    How They Work Together
  Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins make up the three macronutrients. You need to eat a lot of these macronutrients each day, and their requirement is higher than that of micronutrients, aka vitamins and minerals.

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 All macronutrients are organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sometimes other elements. As potential calorie sources, they can be oxidized to produce ATP, the body's main source of energy, according to a 2010 report in Nature Education.

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   While there are similarities between carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, they do differ. For example, proteins and carbs are water-soluble, but most lipids are not, so lipids require some extra work for the body to break down.

And while the body can convert all of the macronutrients — including protein — into glucose (blood sugar) to use for energy, neither carbs nor lipids can be converted to protein. Carbohydrates Sugars and starches are the main digestible carbohydrates, and they provide glucose for energy production. The body stores extra glucose as glycogen.

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 Glucose can fuel intense, short bursts of activity and it is also necessary for brain function. If your body doesn't have much glucose to burn, it converts fats and protein into energy, according to LibreTexts.

Fiber is another type of carbohydrate — it doesn’t provide energy but it helps keep the digestive system healthy, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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 Related Reading 20 Foods High in Carbohydrates That Are Really Good for You

Lipids The two main dietary lipids are fats/oils and cholesterol. Lipids are also the major component of cell membranes and they help protect the organs. Fats also store energy and become a reserve fuel source, per a May 2021 StatPearls report. If your cells don’t get enough glucose, your body burns fat for energy instead — this process creates ketones, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

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 Healthy lipids include unsaturated fats, like polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, which can help improve your blood cholesterol levels when eaten in moderation and used in place of unhealthy lipids such as saturated and trans fats, per the American Heart Association (AHA).

Cholesterol does not supply calories, but it is a building block of very important chemicals such as vitamin D.

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 Remember, both lips and carbohydrates play an important role in delivering energy to cells. When you eat carbs, they are quickly broken down into glucose, which fuels all muscle action. Carbohydrates can also be stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver for later use. Lipids are either stored in various fat cells throughout the body for later energy use or in the liver, per Oregon State University.

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 One similarity between carbohydrates and lipids is that they cannot be converted to protein.

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 Related Reading 15 Foods High in Healthy Fat to Keep You Full

Proteins Protein is composed of building blocks called amino acids. Protein’s primary function is to build and maintain body structures, such as muscle, bones and internal organs, and to synthesize important molecules such as antibodies, enzymes, neurotransmitters and various blood proteins, according to the NLM. Proteins differ from the other energy nutrients because they contain an element not found in carbohydrates and fats — nitrogen, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Some proteins also contain sulfur.

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 When you eat protein-rich foods, digestive enzymes break down those proteins into single amino acids, which are absorbed into your bloodstream. Aside from acting as the building blocks of body structures, amino acids also fill other roles.

Some amino acids help build neurotransmitters, which chemical signals from nerve cells to other cells. For example, the amino acid tyrosine helps produce epinephrine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in your body’s “fight or flight” response, per the Cleveland Clinic.

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 Protein can be used for energy, but it's not the body's preferred source (carbs are!). What's more, lipids, carbohydrates and protein are similar in the way that if you eat too much of them, they can be stored as fat.

Related Reading 20 Foods High in Protein for Strong Muscles The Three Macros Work Together Even though all of the macronutrients can supply energy, a balanced diet providing all three will help the macros to perform their unique functions. And foods that provide macronutrients are also sources of important micronutrients as well. The Institute of Medicine sets forth dietary standards called the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges, which recommend that 45 percent to 65 percent of your total calorie intake comes from carbs, 20 percent to 35 percent from fat and 10 percent to 35 percent from protein. Though flexible, these ranges help ensure you get enough of each macro daily.

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  references
  
      Nature Education: "Dynamic Adaptation of Nutrient Utilization in Humans"
    
      LibreTexts: "16.4: Fuel Sources"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Fiber"
    
      USDA: "Macronutrients and Healthful Diets"
    
      Cleveland Clinic: Epinephrine (Adrenaline)
    
      Cleveland Cinic: Amino Acids
       




  references
  
      Nature Education: "Dynamic Adaptation of Nutrient Utilization in Humans"
    
      LibreTexts: "16.4: Fuel Sources"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Fiber"
    
      USDA: "Macronutrients and Healthful Diets"
    
      Cleveland Clinic: Epinephrine (Adrenaline)
    
      Cleveland Cinic: Amino Acids
    




Eating balanced meals with all three macronutrients helps your body stay in tip-top shape.

Image Credit: BURCU ATALAY TANKUT/Moment/GettyImages

Carbs
Lipids
Proteins
How They Work Together

While there are similarities between carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, they do differ. For example, proteins and carbs are water-soluble, but most lipids are not, so lipids require some extra work for the body to break down. And while the body can convert all of the macronutrients — including protein — into glucose (blood sugar) to use for energy, neither carbs nor lipids can be converted to protein.

And while the body can convert all of the macronutrients — including protein — into glucose (blood sugar) to use for energy, neither carbs nor lipids can be converted to protein.

20 Foods High in Carbohydrates That Are Really Good for You

15 Foods High in Healthy Fat to Keep You Full

20 Foods High in Protein for Strong Muscles

      Nature Education: "Dynamic Adaptation of Nutrient Utilization in Humans"
    
      LibreTexts: "16.4: Fuel Sources"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Fiber"
    
      USDA: "Macronutrients and Healthful Diets"
    
      Cleveland Clinic: Epinephrine (Adrenaline)
    
      Cleveland Cinic: Amino Acids