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Dry heat changes starch first into a soluble form and finally into what is called dextrine, this being the intermediate step in the changing of starch into sugar. SUGAR, another important form of carbohydrate, is mainly of vegetable origin, except that which is found in milk and called lactose.
Most of the rest of the food, including the proteid and the carbohydrate or starchy portion now in the form of sugar, passes into the capillaries, and then is led to the liver. The liver will not let through more sugar than is required, storing it up for future use. It also acts as a careful guardian, by arresting many poisons which would otherwise pass into the general circulation.
Where Sugar is Obtained. The other great member of the starch, or carbohydrate, group of foods is sugar.
In the various grains, these tiny granules differ from one another in appearance, but not to any great extent in general structure, nutritive value, or digestibility, provided they are cooked thoroughly. The large amount of carbohydrate, or starch, in cereals explains why they are not hard to digest, for, as is well known, starch is more easily digested than either protein or fat.
What is true of the proteids is true, though in a different way, of the other great classes of foods. A diet which is lacking in proteid, carbohydrate, or fat, or which has any one of them in excess, is not adapted to the requirements of the body.
Water and mineral matter, on the other hand, are never a source of energy; they assist in building new tissue or in repairing tissue that already exists. The proteins are unique, in that they may serve either purpose. Primarily the proteins are tissue-builders, but in the absence of sufficient fat or carbohydrate the body burns protein to secure heat and energy.
Nature apparently intended us to be omnivorous, and, in addition, vegetarianism may run too close to the dangers of carbohydrate excess. As man progresses after middle life he can unquestionably diminish materially the amount of meat in his diet. In recent years there has been a revival of the theory of prolonged mastication of a limited amount of food.
It is unnecessary to enumerate all or even the more important compounds included in the carbohydrate group; but everyone should know that starch is its chief member, and that after being thoroughly digested starch enters the body as glucose and therefore serves the same purpose as sugar.
Bananas differ from the juicy fruits in that they consist almost entirely of starches, dextrines and sugars. They belong to the carbohydrate groups and should be used sparingly by people suffering from intestinal indigestion. However, we do not share the belief entertained by many people that bananas are injurious under all circumstances.
It is marketed in such a way that when proper food, such as soft dough, or sponge, and a favorable temperature are provided, the plants will multiply and act on the carbohydrate that they find in the food. In fact, the purpose of the well-known process of "setting" a sponge is to obtain a large number of yeast plants from a few. Commercial yeast is placed on the market in two forms moist and dry.
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