Starch has the appearance of a white powder, sometimes with a grayish tint, odorless and tasteless. It refers to polysaccharides. Get it from different cultures, such as potatoes, corn, rice, wheat, beans. If you examine the starch under a microscope, you can see that it consists of small grains, and if you rub it between your fingers, it will emit a creaking sound. This sound means that grains rub against each other. They also do not dissolve in cold water.
Calorie Starch
The calorie count is approximately 300 kcal per 100 grams of powder. Thus, if you use about a tablespoon in a dish, then the number of calories will be increased by 75. It is not recommended to eat a lot. Not only because of the high calorie content, but also because polysaccharides are poorly absorbed by the body.
Types of Starch
As mentioned earlier, starch is made from many plants. Consider their most famous species.
The most popular and commonly used is potato starch. It is obtained by chopping potatoes and then washing, after which sulfur dioxide is added to it to give a whiter color. After boil, clean, then dried. It also contains vitamins and minerals: sodium, calcium, potassium. Starch has very useful properties, enveloping action in the stomach and helps to remove excess fluid from the body. The calorie content of potato starch is approximately 314 kcal per hundred grams of powder.
Corn starch, like potato, is good for the body. It is slightly different in color - white with a yellowish tint. To make it, corn is soaked in sulfuric acid in order to dissolve the protein that binds the starch. Then it is crushed, washed and dried.
Corn starch consists mainly of complex carbohydrates, which is not contraindicated for people with diabetes - its use does not increase blood sugar. Useful for all internal organs. Corn starch has a much higher calorie content, about 343 kcal per hundred grams of product.
If you compare two types of starch, namely for what purposes they are used in a dish, then potato will thicken faster and the liquid will be transparent, and corn will make the texture more viscous and cloudy.
The caloric content of starch is very high, so its use is not recommended for people on a diet.
If the dry, tasteless powder is diluted with water, it will create a sticky paste. After entering the human body, starch turns into glucose, which is so necessary for energy. Therefore, it is desirable to use it a little. It is not necessary to eat jelly every day; starch is found in many products, for example, pasta and cereals.
Regardless of the caloric content of starch, it is still a very important product in the human diet. It is used to make jelly, various cakes, to thicken sauces and much more.
Using
But not only in cooking it is used, but also in cosmetology, medicine and pharmacology. In medicine, it is part of many drugs, it is also used in the manufacture of powders. In cosmetology, it is added to the cream, since the caloric content of starch is high, it nourishes and moisturizes the skin very well. For people with stomach diseases, doctors recommend eating starch in the form of jelly.
Storage
Starch, like any loose product, requires careful storage, the best place will be in the closet, which does not get moisture or sunlight. It is undesirable to store next to sharply smelling products, as it can absorb the smell. The shelf life of starch is about two years, so, stocking up with this product, you do not have to worry about its rapid consumption.