Why are carbohydrates important in your diet?

Unlike proteins or fats, carbohydrates are not essential for health or to sustain life. In other Words, you would become unwell and eventually die without protein and fats. However, as the Inuit (Eskimo) people, and research, have shown, you can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates. Although carbohydrates are not a dietary requirement , it is sometimes difficult to eat without ingesting some carbohydrates, which are Excellent sources of quick-burning energy. Not all carbohydrates are of equal nutritional value, however: in general, the ones created by nature are good for the body (such as vegetables and fruits), whereas those refined processed carbohydrates produced by human intervention - pasta and bread, cereals, white rice, crackers, cookies, candy, sugar, and so forth-are much less beneficial and often harmful to long term health.

Source: Answers.com