2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Starch, also known as starch, is a polysaccharide that is formed as a result of photosynthesis in the leaves of plants. It accumulates as an energy reserve in the roots, fruits and seeds in the form of starch / starch grains /.
It consists of two main polysaccharides - amylopectin and amylose, but their ratio is quite different for different sources of starch. Both polysaccharides are polymers of glucose. A typical starch polymer chain consists of approximately 2,500 glucose molecules in varying degrees of polymerization.
The food product starch represents starch grains which are extracted from the tissues of potatoes or cereals. It has the appearance of a white powdery mass, and the starch grains have a crystalline structure.
Starch is the main carbohydrate food of living organisms. It is digested after its preliminary hydrolysis, under the action of the enzyme amylase. The resulting glucose is food for all cells, and the excess glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the liver. By construction, glycogen is close to amylopectin. Glycogen serves as a reserve food and, if necessary, is broken down to receive glucose. It is also contained in muscle tissue, and during exercise it breaks down to lactic acid.
Composition of starch
The main chemical component of starch is the polysaccharide of the same name starch, which makes up about 86.6% of its composition. Starch also contains 0.4% protein, 12.6% water and small amounts of mineral salts and fats.
Selection and storage of starch
By origin starch for food purposes in our country it is corn and wheat. In the commercial network it is available in natural form or as a mixture with various additives, bearing the names dessert creams and dessert starch.
The benign natural starch has the appearance of a homogeneous, powdery product with a white color. It has a characteristic taste, but it is odorless. Its humidity should not exceed 13%. At higher humidity than this, the starch compacts into lumps, its acidity increases and it becomes moldy.
Dessert starch is made from wheat or corn starch, added essences and harmless dye. The taste of the dessert starch must be clearly expressed and its aroma must correspond to the corresponding essence.
Dry starch cream is a mixture of starch, sugar and milk powder, with added essence, cocoa or harmless dye. This product is a semi-finished product - after boiling with water it is ready.
Under suitable conditions, the shelf life of starch is about one year, and the starch cream - up to two months.
Starch in cooking
Dissolved in very hot water, the starch forms a colloidal solution. The starch grains gradually swell, crack and, at higher concentrations, gelatinize, losing their crystalline structure. When solidified, the paste gels. It is this property of starch that is widely used in the making of creams. It is also often used to thicken sauces. Turkish delight and glucose are made from starch. Starch is used to make many cakes garnished with various fruits.
Sources of starch
In addition to being sold in the store network as a final product, starch is part of a number of foods. Sources of starch are plant products, mainly cereals - flour, cereals, potatoes. The largest amount starch contained in cereals - 60% in unground buckwheat and up to 70% in rice. Oatmeal and its derivatives have the lowest starch content of cereals. Bakery products contain from 62 to 68% starch; in wheat bread - from 35 to 55%; in rye bread - from 33 to 49%.
The quantity starch in legumes is also quite large - 40% in lentils, up to 44% in peas. The only exception is soy, because it contains only 3.5%, and soy flour - 10-15% starch.
Potatoes, as mentioned, also have a very high content of starch, which is why nutritionists do not classify them as vegetables / where the main carbohydrates are mono- and disaccharides /, but as starchy products, along with cereals and legumes.
Benefits of starch
Products that contain starch are good for health. Their presence in the daily menu is a prerequisite for energy and a number of useful substances such as B vitamins, fiber, calcium, iron. However, to limit a large amount of calories, it is best to prepare the dish with minimal amounts of fat.
Experts recommend consuming starchy products every day as part of a healthy and balanced diet. It is estimated that 30% of our food should consist of starchy foods.
Harm from starch
Like most products, starch has its benefits and negatives. According to recent research, regular consumption of potatoes, bread and pasta and other starchy products increases the risk of developing tumors.
Researchers who have come to this conclusion have not yet been able to find a link, but believe that high levels of insulin caused by eating too many harmful carbohydrates stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
Starchy products increase the risk of obesity, and store-bought starch creams have too many artificial additives, which calls into question their health benefits.
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Food Sources Of Starch
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