Maltitol New functionality
Maltitol is a new type of functional sweetener, because of its low calorie, non-caries, difficult to digest, and promote the absorption of calcium and other physiological characteristics, has aroused widespread concern. Hydrogenated maltose, chemical name 4-O-α-D-glucosyl-D-glucitol, molecular formula C12H24O11, relative molecular mass of 344.31. Maltitol is a white crystalline powder or a colorless transparent neutral viscous liquid, soluble in water, insoluble in methanol and ethanol. Hygroscopicity is very strong, the general commercialization of maltitol syrup.
The sweetness of maltitol is from 85% to 95% of sucrose. With heat resistance, acid resistance, moisture and non-fermented and other characteristics, basically can not afford the Maillard reaction. In the body is not digested and absorbed, calorific value is only 5% of sucrose, do not increase blood sugar, do not increase cholesterol, the ideal sweetener for the efficacy of food. For children's food, can prevent dental caries.
Physiological characteristics
Non-corrosive: maltitol is not acid-producing matrix, almost completely does not lead to bacterial synthesis of insoluble polysaccharides, so maltitol is extremely difficult to form dental caries non-corrosive new sugar.
Promote the absorption of calcium: animal experiments show that maltitol has to promote the role of intestinal absorption of calcium and increase bone mass and enhance bone strength performance.
Do not stimulate the secretion of insulin: maltitol because it is difficult to digest and absorb, blood glucose increases, so the glucose metabolism must be the secretion of insulin, there is no stimulating effect, this way to reduce the secretion of insulin. It can be seen that maltitol can be used as a sweetener for diabetics.
Inhibit the accumulation of excessive fat in the body: if both intake of high fat and sugar, due to stimulate the secretion of insulin, lipoprotein protease activity increased, it is easy to increase the accumulation of fat in the body. If maltitol is used instead of sugar to produce high-fat foods such as ice cream, cakes and chocolates, it is desirable to reduce the excessive accumulation of fat in the body because it does not stimulate insulin secretion.
Difficult to digest: maltitol in the human body almost can not be for the saliva, gastric juice, small intestine enzyme decomposition, in addition to the use of part of the intestinal bacteria, the rest can not digest and excreted.
Approximately 10% of the maltitol in the body is used as an energy source after the digestion of the small intestine. The remaining 90% is decomposed into short-chain fatty acids under the action of bacteria in the large intestine, and the rest is absorbed as energy during the large intestine. Thus, the amount of maltitol absorbed in the small intestine plus the absorption of short chain fatty acids in the large intestine can be calculated to account for about 2 keal / g of maltitol.