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What’s the Deal with High Maltose Corn Syrup?

Here’s the problem: not much is known about high maltose corn syrup. While high fructose corn syrup has been tested and researched and scrutinized, this maltose version seems to have slipped under the radar.

Maltose is a sugar just like fructose, but it’s made of two joined glucose molecules. This makes it less sweet than either glucose (simple sugar) or fructose, though certainly still sweet enough to be used as a sweetener for things like granola bars, cereals, and even ice cream. It also provides some texture and gives the food product a longer shelf life.

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 Maltose: honey's less sweet cousin

Does maltose have any health benefits? Yes! Maltose has high fiber and iron content as well as some protein. Since ancient times, the Chinese used maltose as a light medicinal treat for better digestion and a healthier immune system even to this day. Maltose is also an excellent source of energy due to its higher glycemic index, which makes it a great pre-workout or post-workout snack ingredient!

 What is Maltose?

Also known as malt sugar, maltose is formed by uniting two units of glucose that provide the first link in a process that eventually results in the creation of starch. It is an important component in the process of creating fermented barley that in turn can be used to brew beer. Adding in a third unit of glucose produces a sugar that is known as maltotriose, while further units make it possible to produce maltodextrins.

Articles of Interest

Is maltose good or bad?

Most sugars are short chains composed of smaller sugar molecules that act as building blocks. Maltose consists of two glucose units. Table sugar, also called sucrose, is made from a type of glucose and a type of fructose. Maltose can be made by the decomposition of starch. Enzymes in the intestine will break down these glucose chains into maltose. Plant seeds also produce enzymes that release sugar from starch during germination.

Is The High Maltose Corn Syrup In Fiber One Bars Just As Bad As HFCS?

For people trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, one processed sugar is essential the same as another, no matter the name. While there are complicated differences in how some processed sugars are digested, none belong in a healthy diet.

Malt Sugar

Scientifically, Malt Sugar, aka Maltose, is two glucose molecules joined together, making it a “dissacharide.” The formula is C12H22O11·H2O. More prosaically, it is a sugar made from grains by malting them. The grains might include barley, rice or wheat.

Maltose

Maltose or malt sugar is the least common disaccharide that is derived from hydrolysis by enzymes (α-amylase and β-amylase) of starch in nature. Maltose is present in germinating grain, in a small proportion in corn syrup, and forms on the partial hydrolysis of starch. Maltose has a sweet taste, but is only about 30-60% as sweet as sugar, depending on the concentration.

Maltose Formula

As maltose is not as sweet as sucrose, it is not often used as a sweetener. But it is extensively used in the manufacturing of beer and the industrial production of alcohol.

Maltose, a fuel well known to athletes

Maltose, also called malt sugar, is a double sugar (consisting of two glucose molecules). It is transformed by digestive enzymes during the digestion of starch. Its glycemic power is very high, higher than that of glucose. It is therefore a very good source of fast energy. Its sweetening power is lower than that of sucrose.

Maltose: Structure, Function, Digestion and Intolerance

Maltose or malt sugar or α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-D-glucopyranose is a disaccharide made up of two molecules of D-glucose in the pyranose form.

Maltose? The Unrivaled Guide to Understanding Maltose

Maltose (also known as malt sugar) is of particular importance in brewing beer, as it constitutes the majority of the fermentable sugar, produced by malting barley and subsequently decomposing the starch content of malt.

Meet High Fructose Corn Syrup's Sneaky Cousin: High "Maltose" Corn Syrup

While high fructose corn syrup remains a controversial topic, I've been open here on Vitamin G about my concerns about the ingredient. But, recently, I have been seeing the words "high maltose corn syrup" in many ingredient labels. What is it, and should we be cautious? I have details ...

Sugar by Another Name

Here’s the thing: sugar in our modern food supply is super sneaky. Because it’s in so many processed foods and labeled under different names, you might easily fail to recognize it as sugar. Maltose is formed when certain grains, most commonly malt, germinate. It is formed by two molecules of glucose; the most recognizable Maltose is malt syrup.

The Wars of the Carbohydrates: Part 3: Maltose

In the beer-making process, starch is acted on by a mixture of amylases to form glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and higher saccharides containing both alpha-1, 4- and alpha-1 6- glucosidic linkages. Yeast readily ferments glucose and maltose to ethanol, but has a harder time with the higher saccharides, the maltodextrins.

What Is Maltose and Is It Good or Bad for You?

The body processes maltose slightly differently than other sugars. Unlike other sugars, maltose is made up entirely of glucose... The liver seems to handle glucose and sucrose better than other sugar molecules such as fructose. Fructose, a component of sucrose, is converted quickly to fat by the liver. Glucose, like that found in maltose, seems to stick around in the body for longer periods before it is converted into fat.

What is maltose most common food source?

Maltose is most commonly found in food sources such as grain-based foods, including barley, wheat, and rye. It also occurs naturally in some vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peas, and corn. Maltose is one of the main components of malted grains which are frequently used in beer making.

What Is Maltose? Plus, Is It Bad for You?

It’s well established that not all varieties of sugar are equal in terms of nutrition. When you consume maltose because you’re eating a cooked sweet potato, you’re also intaking significant amounts of fiber as well as key vitamins and minerals. However, when you eat it because you’re having a processed food like a cracker, you’re likely not getting much more than added sugars and carbohydrates into your diet.

What Is Maltose? Plus, Is It Bad for You?

Maltose, also known as maltobiose or malt sugar, is a part of many foods and beverages you likely know — and possibly love. The sugar is produced in the malting process during the creation of beer and malt alcohol, as well as the fermentation process required to make breads and bagels. In a raw state, most whole foods don’t contain maltose until they are browned or caramelized. Molasses is an example of one of the few uncooked foods that contain maltose. It is also created by plants when their seeds begin to sprout and by our guts when we consume starch.