Food and drink, Main course
Starch - what is it? Types and application of the product
A white tasteless powder that emits a creak during compression is starch. what
Starch: what is it?
According to its chemical composition, starch refers to carbohydrates. This is a natural polymer, which mainly consists of c-D-anhydroglucose residues. Starchy grains are divided into two types: amylopectins and amyloses. Due to this composition, starch is peculiar to become viscous or to create elastic films on contact with hot water. Starch, produced by their various raw materials, has different grain sizes, structure and strength of molecular bonds, despite the identical appearance. The most different is potato and cereal starches.
Potato starch: what is it?
As already mentioned, potato starch is most common in cooking and cosmetology. Moreover, he is quite in demand in pharmacology, being the basis of ointments, tablets, powders and other preparations. This product is obtained from the tubers themselves. It is rich in dietary fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins of the PP group. Due to its astringent, enveloping and softening properties, the powder in question is successfully used for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract: it envelops the walls of the stomach, relieving inflammation and reducing the negative effects of medicines. As for external use, the starch is used to reduce pain and itching with burns, skin diseases and dermatitis. Quite often it acts as one of the components of curative and preventive masks for the face and hair. With the internal intake of starch, there is a decrease in cholesterol and stabilization of blood pressure, and jellies based on it are the main dish in dietary nutrition.
Cereal starch: what is it?
In second place after the potatoes (in terms of starch content) are the crops. The most common are wheat, rice and corn. Other starchy foods are more susceptible to weather conditions, so they grow in places with a certain climate. Among them, we can name barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, sorghum and millet.
How to make starch in the home
Similar articles
Trending Now