Maltose: Good, Bad or Both?
Maltose, a sugar made up of two glucose molecules linked together, is also known as glucose.
It is found in seeds and other parts, as plants use stored energy to grow. This sugar is naturally found in foods such as sweet potatoes, certain fruits, and cereals.
Maltose has been used for years in frozen desserts and hard candy, despite being less sweet than table sugar or fructose. This is because it has a unique tolerance to heat.
Many food companies are switching from fructose to Maltose due to increasing public awareness of the harmful effects of high fructose corn syrup on health.
This article will discuss how Maltose affects the body, its origin and whether or not it is healthy.
What is Maltose?
Sugars are short chains made up of smaller sugar molecules that act as building blocks. Two glucose units make up Maltose. Sucrose, also known as sucrose, comprises one glucose unit and one fructose.
The breakdown of starch can make Maltose, which is a long chain of many glucose units. Your gut enzymes break down these glucose chains into Maltose.
As they sprout, plant seeds also produce enzymes that release starch sugar.
This natural process has been used for years by people to produce food.
In the case of malting, grains are first sprouted in water and then dried. This activates enzymes in grains that release Maltose, other sugars, and proteins.
Malt’s sugars and proteins are very beneficial for yeast. This is why malt has been important in brewing beer, whisky, and malt vinegar.
As sweeteners, malted grains can also be used in desserts and candies.
You can buy Maltose as either dry crystals or syrup along with baking supplies. Although the syrup is usually corn-based, it can be mistaken for high fructose corn syrup.
Maltose can be substituted for sugar in recipes 1:1. Because Maltose doesn’t have the same sweetness as sucrose and fructose in recipes, you may need to use a little more than 1:3 to achieve the desired flavour.
SUMMARY
Maltose results from the decomposition of starch. This occurs in your stomach after eating starch and in seeds and other plants when they start to sprout. This sugar is used in brewing as well as to sweeten beverages.
Foods high in Maltose
Many foods contain Maltose naturally.
It can be found in wheat, cornmeal, barley, and many other ancient grains. To add sweetness, many breakfast bowls of cereal use malted grains.
Peaches and pears are some of our diet’s most common sources of Maltose. Sweet potatoes are sweeter than other foods because they contain more sugar.
Most syrups are sweetened with Maltose. High-maltose corn syrup contains 50% or more sugar in the form of Maltose. It can be used to make hard candy and is an affordable sweetener.
SUMMARY
Maltose can be found in starchy vegetables, fruits and fruits. It can be used to make low-cost sugar sources such as high-maltose corn syrup.
Is Maltose Healthier Than Table Sugar?
Sucralose, also known as table sugar, is used for sweetening and cooking. Another short, two-sugar sugar chain comprises one glucose molecule and one fructose.
Surprise is a sugar that can be converted to both glucose and fructose.
Fructose has more serious health consequences and is metabolized differently than glucose.
High-fructose diets can lead to obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes sooner.
Maltose is only glucose, not fructose so that it may be slightly healthier than regular table sugar. But, there is not enough research to determine if fructose can be substituted for Maltose.
SUMMARY
Maltose doesn’t contain fructose as table sugar. You can avoid the health risks of eating too much fructose by replacing table sugar with Maltose. The effects of Maltose have not been well studied.