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Nutrition concepts

Clear explanations of nutrition concepts such as protein, fiber, glycemic response, energy density and nutrient quality.

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Quinnoa currently groups 220 articles under Nutrition concepts.

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Tubers · Comparisons

Soluble Tapioca Fiber: What It Is and How It Differs From Tapioca Starch

Soluble tapioca fiber is not simply tapioca starch under another name. It is commonly a resistant dextrin manufactured from cassava starch through hydrolysis and rearrangement of glucose linkages so that much of the material resists digestive enzymes. Conventional tapioca starch, by contrast, gelatinizes when heated and is largely digested to glucose. The difference is the structure created during processing.

4 min read
Grains & pseudocereals · Comparisons

Oat Fiber: What It Is and Why It Is Not the Same as Oat Bran or Oat Flour

The oat fiber listed in high-fiber foods is commonly oat-hull fiber rather than oat flour or bran. FDA describes oat hull fiber as isolated from the outer hull removed from the edible oat groat and generally containing at least about 85% nondigestible carbohydrate, mostly insoluble cellulose and hemicellulose. This makes it very different from bran or flour, which still contain substantial starch, protein, and beta-glucan.

4 min read
Fruit · Nutrition concepts

Citrus Fiber: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and Why It Is Used in So Many Foods

Citrus fiber is an ingredient made mainly from the peel, albedo, and pulp left after citrus juice processing. Washing, drying, and milling produce a dietary-fiber-rich material containing pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in varying proportions. Its value is not only nutritional: citrus fiber can bind substantial water and oil, increase viscosity, and stabilize food structures, which is why it appears across many product categories.

4 min read
Comparisons

Isomalt: What It Is, How Many Calories It Has, and How It Differs From Isomaltulose

Isomalt is a bulk sugar alcohol used mainly in hard candy, decorative sugar work, and sugar-free confectionery. It is manufactured from sucrose: sucrose is first converted to isomaltulose and then hydrogenated into a mixture of polyols. FDA uses 2 kcal/g for U.S. labeling. Unlike isomaltulose, isomalt is not fully digested and larger amounts can produce laxative gastrointestinal effects.

4 min read
Nutrition concepts

Lactitol: What It Is, Why It Is Used as a Sweetener, and What It Does in the Gut

Lactitol is a sugar alcohol produced by hydrogenating lactose. It is much less sweet than sucrose and is poorly absorbed in the small intestine, making it useful as a lower-energy bulking sweetener. FDA uses 2 kcal/g for U.S. labeling. Most of the dose reaches the colon for fermentation, which explains both its lower energy value and its laxative potential at sufficiently high intake.

4 min read
Comparisons

Agave Syrup: Why It Is High in Fructose and Whether Its Glycemic Index Is Lower

Agave syrup is produced by converting fructans stored in the agave plant into smaller sugars and concentrating the resulting liquid. Many products end up particularly rich in fructose. Because fructose does not raise blood glucose immediately as much as glucose does, agave can have a lower glycemic index than sucrose. That difference does not remove its calories or make a high intake of concentrated sweetener metabolically advantageous.

4 min read
Grains & pseudocereals · Food safety

Rice Syrup: What It Is, How It Is Made, and What to Know About Arsenic

Rice syrup is a sweetener made by breaking down rice starch with enzymes and concentrating the soluble sugars produced. It commonly contains maltose, glucose, and short glucose chains, with little or no fructose depending on processing. The best-known safety question is arsenic: rice can accumulate more inorganic arsenic than many other grains, and some can carry into rice-derived ingredients, although concentrations vary widely among raw materials and products.

5 min read
Nutrition concepts

Isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO): What They Are and Why They Do Not Always Count as Fiber

Isomaltooligosaccharides, or IMO, are mixtures of short glucose chains that commonly contain alpha-1,6 and alpha-1,4 linkages. Many commercial ingredients are produced from starch through hydrolysis and transglucosylation. Although part of an IMO mixture may resist digestion, another part can be hydrolyzed and absorbed as glucose. This is why different IMO syrups can have very different true fiber content and glycemic effects.

4 min read
Comparisons

Acacia Fiber: What It Is, How It Is Tolerated, and How It Differs From Inulin

Acacia fiber, also called gum arabic, is a plant exudate rich in complex polysaccharides obtained mainly from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal. It dissolves readily, adds little viscosity at moderate concentrations, and largely reaches the colon for fermentation. Compared with inulin, it is generally described as fermenting more gradually, which can create a different gastrointestinal tolerance profile.

4 min read
Nutrition concepts

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS): What They Are, Where They Occur, and Why They Are Used as Prebiotics

Fructooligosaccharides, or FOS, are short-chain carbohydrates made mostly of fructose. Human digestive enzymes break them down poorly, so they reach the colon and become substrates for gut microbes. This is why FOS are widely used as prebiotic ingredients. Smaller amounts also occur naturally in chicory, onion, garlic, leek, asparagus, wheat, and selected fruits.

4 min read