Tag: Starch granules

Starch particles from rice can be as tiny as 2 micrometers, while potato starch granules can grow to 100 micrometers. This vast range demonstrates the complexity of answering how small is starch, a factor that depends heavily on whether you are examining individual molecules or the larger, composite granules.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), wheat provides about 20% of the world's total food calories, with approximately 70% of a wheat kernel consisting of carbohydrates, mostly starch. This starch is not a single entity but a complex combination of two different molecules, known as amylose and amylopectin, which are stored within distinct granules in the grain's endosperm. Understanding this structure is key to appreciating how wheat behaves in food production and is digested by the body.

According to extensive research on wheat and barley, two distinct starch granule types exist: A-type starch granules (AS), larger than 10 µm in diameter, and B-type starch granules (BS), measuring less than 10 µm. The core difference between A starch and B starch lies in their size, which in turn influences their chemical composition, structural properties, and functional behavior in food processing.

For decades, the popular "Paleo diet" has promoted the idea that our prehistoric ancestors avoided grains, but emerging archaeological evidence from ancient teeth and tools is telling a different story. These findings confirm that early humans and even Neanderthals consumed wild cereals and starchy plants as a vital food source.

All green plants produce starch, which is stored in semi-crystalline granules to reserve food supply. This compact, water-insoluble reserve of glucose is vital for plant metabolism and is a primary energy source for many organisms, including humans.