What is brown rice syrup?
It’s made by exposing cooked rice to enzymes that break down starches and converting them into smaller sugars, and then filtering out the impurities. The result is a thick, sugary syrup.
Brown rice syrup contains three types of sugars – maltotriose (52%), maltose (45%) and glucose (3%).
But don’t let the names fool you. Maltose consists of only two glucose molecules, while maltotriose consists of three glucose molecules. Therefore, brown rice syrup acts like 100% glucose in your body.
Nutrient Content of Brown Rice Syrup
It does contain tiny amounts of minerals like calcium and potassium, but that’s negligible compared to what you get from whole foods. Don’t forget that this syrup contains a lot of sugar. So, brown rice syrup provides plenty of calories, but virtually no essential nutrients.
Glucose vs. Fructose in Brown Rice Syrup
Some believe that it is unhealthy only because it contains almost no vitamins and minerals and that it is bad for your teeth. However, there is evidence that fructose is particularly harmful.
Of course, fructose does not raise blood sugar levels as much as glucose. But while glucose can be metabolized by every cell in your body, fructose can only be metabolized in appreciable amounts by your liver.
Some scientists hypothesize that excessive fructose consumption may be one of the causes of type 2 diabetes.
High fructose consumption has been linked to insulin resistance, fatty liver, and elevated triglyceride levels. Because glucose can be metabolized by all cells in your body, it shouldn’t have the same negative effects on liver function.
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