Soluble Carbohydrates

Glucose and fructose are monosaccharide sugars. A monosaccharide is the smallest unit of sugar, mono meaning 1.

Sucrose is commonly called table sugar and is a disaccharide. A disaccharide is a sugar that is made up of two sugar units, di meaning 2.

Sucrose is produced as glucose and fructose are joined together by a condensation reaction. In the process a water molecule is eliminated. See the following equation.

C₆H₁₂O₆ + C₆H₁₂O₆ => C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ + H₂O

glucose   + fructose => sucrose + water

Hint: This is an easy way to remember the chemical formula for sucrose. 2 x C₆H₁₂O₆ – H₂O = C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁

The molecular formula for sucrose is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁

All of the food produce mentioned below consist of saccharides which are discussed above and its preferable to consume these product from their natural states after they have been washed – for fruits or cooked for some tuber foods.

Herbal, Tuber and Fruit therapy

A variety of herbal therapies can be useful in the treatment of constipation. Several herbs, including garden parsley (Biennial), green onions, ginger roots, or cherries fruit (Gaultheria procumbens), papaya and pineapple which act as sweets, stimulating the movement of the digestive and excretive systems. There are also other “digestive” food that assist with bowel movement. Two of these are casava (Cassia sennae) and maso. These “digestive” fruits acts positively to regulate and eliminate constipation faster than sweet bitters (leaves) which can sometimes cause cramping (mixing them with a calming herb like fennel or caraway can help reduce cramping). Both nectarine, peaches and carrots (plantae) are good source of fruit therapy that are best used with direction given by an experienced practitioner or nutritionist.

Chemical Formula for Sugars

Sugars are a white crystalline group of soluble carbohydrates that are sweet tasting in nature. These sugar molecules include glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, maltose, lactose and galactose. Sugar molecules are classified as monosaccharides or disaccharides. The following table lists the common sugar molecules are their chemical formula.

The monosaccharides glucose, galactose and fructose all have the same molecular formula but they vary in their molecular structure.

The three common disaccharides lactose, sucrose and maltose also have the same molecular formula but differ in their structural formula

Lactose is also known as ‘milk sugar’ because it is primarily found in dairy products. Lactose intolerance is a genetic disorder which affects many people who lack the enzyme necessary to break down lactose into glucose and galactose. This prevents lactose being absorbed by the body.

Sucrose is obtained from sugar cane and sugar beet and is commonly called table sugar.

Amino Acids is any of a class of organic compounds that contains at least one amino group, –NH ₂, and one carboxyl group, –COOH: the alpha-amino acids, RCH(NH ₂)COOH, are the building blocks from which proteins are constructed.

All amino acids found in proteins have this basic structure, differing only in the structure of the R-group or the side chain..

The simplest, and smallest, amino acid found in proteins is glycine for which the R-group is a hydrogen (H).

Basic Structure

L-isomer
In proteins, only the L-isomer is found normally.

As you travel onward (from the carbonyl carbon to the amino group), the R group of L-amino acids will be on the left as shown in the molecular graphic on the right