Maltose

Maltose

Maltose

What is it:

Maltose, a disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules linked together, is a fundamental carbohydrate used widely in the food industry. It’s commonly produced through the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch, typically derived from grains like barley or rice. This process involves breaking down the starch into individual glucose molecules using enzymes like amylase. Another enzyme known as maltase catalyzes the bonding of two glucose units to form maltose. This resulting maltose is normally produced as a syrup or powder to act as a sweetener or thickener. Maltose is often used in brewing, confectionery, baking, and in infant formulas.

Rating:

Maltose plays a similar role in human metabolism as glucose does, since it is composed of two glucose molecules. It provides quick energy but consuming it in high amounts, just as any form of sugar, has been linked to many adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Resources:

How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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