"Food and Heart" introduces in detail the influence of sugar on human body, the harm of eating too much sugar, the advantages and disadvantages of different sugars such as fructose and honey, and how to eat sugar healthier. Some friends want to know, "Is there any sugar that is good for your health?" ?

The answer is of course yes! But don't see that the first thing sugar thinks of is sweetness. Generally, the longer the sugar chain, the lower the sweetness, and the shorter the sugar chain, the sweeter the taste. There are many kinds of common sugar compounds, which are very beneficial to health, but because of their main feature of not being sweet, they are often ignored or not included in the category of sugar. This issue of Food and Heart will introduce you to these unfamiliar and familiar beneficial sugars.

1. Fructooligosaccharides

Fructooligosaccharides, also known as sucrose oligosaccharides, are formed by combining one sucrose molecule with 1-3 fructose molecules. The sweetness is lower than that of sucrose, but it is pure, fresher and purer than sucrose, without any aftertaste.

Although the name fructooligosaccharides sounds strange, everyone has actually eaten it. Friends who care about health must have heard the name Bifidobacterium factor. Fructooligosaccharide is one of the most commonly used bifidobacteria factors, which can promote the growth of bifidobacteria.

Fructooligosaccharides used in food industry are mostly made of sucrose, refined by modern bioengineering technology, and most foods containing bifidus factors also come from this.

In fact, fructooligosaccharides exist widely in food, and garlic, onion, leek, green onion, garlic moss, asparagus, yacon, Jerusalem artichoke and chicory are all rich in fructooligosaccharides.

2. Inulin

Inulin is a natural fructan. Chicory root is used as raw material at home and abroad. After protein and minerals are removed, inulin is obtained by spray drying and other steps. In China and Japan, Jerusalem artichoke (Jerusalem artichoke) rhizome is mostly used as raw material, protein, gum, crude fiber and minerals are removed, and inulin is obtained by water extraction, ion exchange, membrane filtration, spray drying and other production processes.

Inulin is mostly soluble in water, and its sweetness is lower than fructose, and the length of fructose chain determines its sweetness. The shorter the length, the greater the sweetness, and the long-chain inulin has no sweetness.

Inulin is one of the most commonly used prebiotics at present, and it is also one of the most important components of various prebiotic products. Intake of inulin can improve digestive tract health, relieve constipation, promote weight loss and blood sugar control, improve mineral absorption and bone health, reduce the risk of heart disease and colorectal cancer, and improve the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The Japanese even call Jerusalem artichoke extract natural insulin.

There are still many prebiotics that combine fructooligosaccharides formed by further hydrolysis of inulin with other oligosaccharides, but these prebiotics are actually abundant in daily food.

Natural fruits and vegetables rich in fructooligosaccharides are often rich in inulin at the same time, whether it is chicory, Jerusalem artichoke (also known as Jerusalem artichoke or Guizijiang), garlic, onion, leek, green onion, garlic bolt, asparagus and yacon. For more friends, please refer to 20 common foods with the highest prebiotic content. Although many friends choose to buy ready-made inulin, food and heart prefer to get it directly from these foods.

The above two pictures show the root of Jerusalem artichoke and the head of chicory (especially like Chinese cabbage).

3. Resistant starch

Starch is the most common carbohydrate for most people, the main carbohydrate in various staple foods and one of our main energy sources. Resistant starch, also known as indigestible starch, is digested and absorbed by human body much slower than starch, which requires the participation of intestinal microorganisms.

Resistant starch is also included in the prebiotic family because it can regulate the flora. Can reduce intestinal inflammation, improve diarrhea and constipation, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Enhance satiety, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Resistant starch is widely available, and its content is very high in daily food, which can be obtained if you eat well.

The cereal beans we eat every day contain resistant starch, but the cooking and eating methods will affect the content of resistant starch.

Generally, the content of resistant starch in raw food is high, which decreases after cooking, but increases when eaten after refrigeration, such as cold rice and noodles. Specific methods to increase the content of resistant starch in daily diet can be referred to.

One-week healthy dinner (61)-food resistant starch and slimming.

4. Edible fiber

Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate, which generally belongs to carbohydrate without sugar.

Dietary fiber is one of the seven essential nutrients for human body, and it is also recommended by dietary guidelines all over the world. According to your calorie requirements, you need to consume at least 1000 calories a day.

The benefits of dietary fiber to human body: the importance of dietary fiber to human body (1); The importance of dietary fiber to human body is introduced in detail (II). It can be said that dietary fiber is the only one of the seven essential nutrients for human body, and the other six are mainly to meet the needs of human body. Microorganisms can not only decompose and utilize dietary fiber, but also produce various active substances beneficial to human body, such as short-chain fatty acids.

Adequate dietary fiber intake can reduce the risk of various chronic diseases (such as inflammatory diseases, three high diseases, allergic diseases, heart diseases, cancer, psychological diseases and infectious diseases); On the contrary, insufficient intake will increase the risk of these diseases.

Although many products claim to contain a variety of dietary fiber, Food and Heart does not recommend using these to replace dietary fiber in food.

Because the types of dietary fiber in food are far less than those of industrial processing and purification, and foods rich in dietary fiber often contain a variety of essential nutrients and antioxidants;

Replacing dietary fiber with dietary fiber products with simple components for a long time is not conducive to the construction of stable and diverse intestinal flora and is not conducive to health;

However, it is feasible to use these products as a supplement when the short-term diet is out of control.

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