2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Glucose is a monosaccharide from the group of carbohydrates, which dissolves in water and has a sweet taste. Glucose has its sweet taste due to 5 hydroxyl groups.
Apart from being sweet, the substance is colorless and crystalline. It is also characterized by the fermentation process, as a result of which organic substances decompose into simpler compounds under the action of various enzyme enzymes.
History of glucose
Glucose, before being known as the monosaccharide C6H12O6, used the name grape sugar. It was first mentioned in Moorish writings in 1100.
In 1747, the German pharmacist Andreas Magraft isolated it from sugar beet. However, he calls the substance sugar. The name glucose appeared in 1838, given by the French chemist Jean-Baptiste Andre Dumas, using the Greek word glycos, which means jam.
Characteristics of glucose
When heated glucose it gradually melts, and if the temperature is too high, it is first caramelized and finally can be completely charred.
Under the influence of the enzyme cymase, alcoholic fermentation takes place in glucose. Other enzymes from the fermentation process cause it to form lactic acid, acetone and others.
In the human body, glucose is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, which release the body's required temperature.
Glucose production
Glucose can be produced by two methods - natural and industrial. In its natural form, the monosaccharide can be synthesized by plants and animals through photosynthesis and a process known as glycogenesis.
Glucose is industrially produced by enzymatic hydrolysis extracted from starch in corn, rice, wheat, potatoes and cassava. The process takes place in 2 main phases - liquefaction of starch and saccharification.
The first stage lasts between one and two hours, as the starch is liquefied at a temperature of 110 degrees Celsius. This heat treatment increases the solubility of starch in water, but inactivates the enzyme, which requires its addition after each new heating.
During saccharification, the enzyme glucoamylase, derived from the fungus Aspergillus niger, is added to the starch at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. After this process, glucose is formed within 4 days.
Sources of glucose
In its natural form glucose is found in many fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. The highest amounts of it are in the grapes. Glucose is found in strawberries, apricots, cherries, bananas and dried fruits such as prunes and figs.
Among vegetables, glucose can be found in onions, mushrooms, radishes, broccoli, artichokes and spinach.
Some cereals are also a good source of glucose - einkorn, buckwheat and corn flour. Honey also contains large amounts of glucose.
Among the herbs and spices it is found in balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic and licorice.
Glucose poses
Glucose is an important source of energy in the body. It ensures the normal functioning of the body during intense physical, emotional or mental stress.
Its consumption also provides a quick reaction of the brain in emergencies. The use of glucose as an energy source in cells occurs through the metabolic pathway of glucose.
Without enough glucose, the human body cannot function properly. Therefore, if the glucose level drops sharply, thinking becomes blurred, but the rhythm of breathing does not change.
When the amount of glucose contained in carbohydrates falls, we begin to lose our ability to control our desire for food, and our appetite increases.
Glucose enters the cells with the help of the hormone insulin, which is broken down by nerve cells. Without glucose, brain cells are severely damaged, which can cause hyperglycemic coma.
Glucose intake helps with liver disease and poisoning by neutralizing toxic substances. It is also used in the treatment of the cardiovascular, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
Glucose damage
Glucose harms the body only if taken in larger than permissible amounts. Among the negative consequences for the body are stroke, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are caused by too high blood glucose levels, which have raised blood sugar levels and therefore increased blood pressure levels.
Higher blood sugar levels block blood flow by clogging the arteries, causing a stroke.
Impaired regulation of blood glucose affects memory, destroying brain cells, irreversibly causing Alzheimer's disease.
Glucose intake
The recommended intake is between 40 and 50 grams per day, and 1 gram of glucose contains 4 calories. For people who exercise, it is recommended to take most of the dose after a workout.
Blood glucose control is monitored with the so-called glycemic index, which is measured on the basis of 100.
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Glucose-rich Vegetables
The most important of all monosaccharides is glucose. It is a basic unit in the structure of most nutrients from the group of saccharides. In metabolism, they break down and convert into other substances used by the body as energy. Fruit sugar, as it is also called glucose , participates in metabolism.
Glucose-fructose Syrup
Fructose is a monosaccharide that the human body can use for energy. It is also called fruit sugar because it is mainly found in fruits. It is absorbed twice as slowly as glucose and does not require insulin, so it can be consumed by diabetics.
