I have two quick questions: 1)what is the carb source of vegetables i.e. fructose or dextrose or glucose? and 2) what about in vinegar?
Good question, what is the exact specific carb source in vegetables.
1)Most vegetables contain little or no amounts of fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose etc. Aside from carrots, tomatos (even though it is technically a fruit) and other sweeter vegtables, there are small amounts of fructose. The main carb source in vegtables is cellulose and starch. Both are polysaccarides(sp?) meanning that they are many monosaccarides (i.e. glucose, fructose, lactose etc.) bonded together to form a long chain. Polysaccarides are what are reffered to as a complex carbohydrate and monosaccarides are what are reffered to as a simple carbohydrate. Because polysaccarides have many bonds, they need to be broken down before the monosaccarides can be absorbed by the intestine. Hence complex carbs are longer lasting and produce a slow insulin release. Also each vegtable has a different kind of starch but that goes in to the category called I don’t give a damn. With the other carb source, cellulose, the intestine is unable to digest it. Only certain kinds of bacteria can break it down. Cows have this bacteria in one of their stomachs and that is how they digest it. Anyway cellulose is useful for “cleansing” the digestive tract.
2) Vinegar aka acetic acid has no carbs, proteins and fats. There may be trace amounts of alcohol (7 cal/g) but we are talking about milligrams. Acetic acid is the result of fermented alcohol. Hence, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar. Bacteria use the alcohol in a anearobic (w/o oxygen) process to form ( I think) 6 atp molecules and one acetic acid molecule. This is simmilar to how the body produces lactic acid. Although the acetic acid can be broken down further using an aerobic (w oxygen) process, but the acetic acid would have to enter into the cell and then into the mitochondria. The body has better things to do then suck up waste products. Anyway no one takes in that much vinegar, aside from the North American pickle champion.
Hya…(a loud applause) Fantastic explanation, my friend. I actually looked this vegetable question earlier this morning in my physiology notes and was prepared to give a short dissertation. However, I could not have done such an outstanding job. Good-to-go, bro.
Great explanation HYA! Thank you very much. I have just one other follow up question-what is the technical name for “starch” ? Is it maltodextrose or something else? Thanks again friend.
Maltodextrose is disaccaride, it has a glucose and a maltose molecule bonded together. Although some refer to it as being a complex carb, it is still a simple carb(it is broken down and absorbed in the stomach and not the intestine). The technical name for starch is polysaccaride, although there are names for specific starches, for eg. glycogen which is human starch. More often than not its refered to as starch or a complex carb.
When I said maltodextrose I meant maltodextrin. Maltodextrose does not exist, I think…