Someone came across this substance in the process of learning, and someone - reading the composition on the packaging of the product in the store. What is another name for m alt sugar? What is m altose? How is it different from the well-known and familiar to everyone in appearance and taste of sucrose (regular sugar)? How sweet is it, and should you be afraid for your he alth if m altose is included in food?
Why is it called that when it was first used
M alt sugar has been used in Japan since ancient times, when people did not yet know anything about the purposeful process of obtaining it. However, the pleasantly sweet taste of the white matter produced by the high starch varieties of millet and rice has been noticed for a long time.
Since it is mainly obtained from cereals, the corresponding name has been assigned to it - m altose (in English, "m alt" means "cereal").
What it looks like, how to get it
M altose is obtained from sproutedand dried cereals such as rye, barley, millet, rice, wheat, oats, corn. It was later found in tomatoes, oranges, yeasts and molds, the nectar and pollen of some plant species, honey, and a by-product of the production of sugar or starch, molasses.
M alt sugar looks like a white powder or colorless crystals.
Produced by the natural fermentation of pre-sprouted, dried and ground cereals.
Flavor properties and application
If ordinary sugar is taken as the standard for the degree of sweetness, then this property of m altose will be three times weaker. Therefore, less sweet, more useful, according to many scientists than fructose and sucrose, easily processed by the human body, m altose is often used to make dietary products.
The most common use of m alt sugar is in the production of baby food, baking mixes and instant cereals, added to ice cream. M alt syrup is prepared from it, which is used in the production of confectionery (especially a variety of breads and cookies) and bakery products. Also, m altose is present in the composition of kvass and some alcoholic products: beer, whiskey, bourbon.
M alt sugar is used to produce m altose syrup, a brown syrup with a sweet taste. It is obtained by enzymatic saccharification of raw materials containing starch, followed by boiling. No chemicals are used in the manufacturecatalysts and acids. The syrup has a slight smell of m alt. Due to its low glucose content, it does not crystallize over time. The composition of molasses resembles beer or kvass wort.
The use of m altose in the production of molasses made it possible to obtain natural raw materials for baking such popular types of bread as "Borodinsky", "Rizhsky" (dark molasses) and no less purchased confectionery: a variety of gingerbread and cookies (light molasses).
Composition, calories, physical properties
The composition of m altose is somewhat different depending on what it is made from. M alt sugar is almost 100% carbohydrate and contains neither protein nor fat.
Its main composition is fiber, some amino acids, vitamins H, E, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, PP, minerals - iron (Fe), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), fluorine (F), iodine (I), sodium (Na), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se).
The calorie content of this product is 362 kcal per 100 gr.
The anhydrous melting of m alt sugar takes place at 102 °C.
The molar mass of a substance is 342.32 g/mol.
Density of matter - 1.54 g/cm3.
Soluble in water but insoluble in ethyl alcohol and ether.
Chemical formula of m altose and classification of the substance
According to the IUPAC nomenclature (IUPAC - International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) - the naming system of chemical compounds and a holistic description of chemical science - m altose is called like this: 4-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose.
Traditional name - m altose.
Its chemical formula is C12H22O11. On it you can see the qualitative and quantitative composition of the molecule of a substance, that is, how many and which atoms are included in this particular compound.
The structural (graphic) formula of m altose more clearly demonstrates exactly how the atoms are interconnected within the molecule.
It is a natural reducing disaccharide - a carbohydrate consisting of two monosaccharide residues - glucose (C6H12O 6) - interconnected, into which m altose breaks down during the hydrolysis process that occurs when a substance is boiled with dilute acid or when exposed to the m altase enzyme.
Monosaccharide molecules are linked together by the hemiacetal hydroxyl of one of them and the alcohol hydroxyl of the second.
Effect on the human body
M alt sugar is not included in the list of substances indispensable for the human body. The human body is able to obtain m altose from polysaccharides on its own, so experts have not identified common symptoms of its deficiency.
It is produced from starch and glycogen present in the liver and muscles of all mammals.
The m alt sugar in the human intestine breaks down into glucose molecules and is easily absorbed, helping the body to quickly accumulate energy, especially valuable for the brain. Its processing begins at the very beginning of the digestivea path - in a mouth, thanks to the enzyme contained in saliva - amylase. The breakdown of m altose into two glucose residues is impossible without the presence of the enzyme glucosidase in the body, otherwise m altase.
It happens that m altase is missing or not enough. This natural feature leads to m altose intolerance. In this case, all products containing this substance must be excluded from the diet.
Most dieticians are of the opinion that m alt sugar has no harmful effects on the human body, but it is well known that the total amount of sugar intake by he althy people should not exceed 100 grams per day. M altose can be up to 35 grams of them.
