Maybe you have ever wondered what is the starch, that word that many times we have heard in the mouth of our mothers when they tell us to wash the rice first to remove the starch it contains.
El starch is a substance with which plants manage to store their food in the roots, tubers, fruits and seeds. Although it is not only an important reserve for plants, but also for human beings since it provides a great energy contribution.
It differs from the others carbohydrates because it occurs as a set of particles that are relatively dense and insoluble in cold water. It is a chemical substance that is obtained exclusively from plants that synthesize it from the carbon dioxide they take from the atmosphere and the water they receive from the ground.
In their formation process they absorb the solar energy and it is stored in the form of glucose creating long chains that can constitute between 2.000 and 3.000 glucose units.
Uses of starch
This substance is important because it is part of our diet. Starch is found in tubers, rice, cereals, fruits, etc. In a healthy and balanced diet, most of the energy is obtained from starch and the parts of glucose that they have.
In the food industry it is also used as an additive to some foods. Excels in:
- It is an adhesive
- Gelling
- Clouding
- Form movies
- Stabilizes foams
- Preservative for bread
- Binder
El starch problem is that on many occasions we are not notified of its use in the food we buy. We find it many times in sausages and low quality cold cuts to give consistency to the product. Like all food, a abusive consumption he can be harmful.