Re cellulose, recent evidence suggests that we utilize quite a bit of it
through secondary fermentation in the small intestine and even the bowel,
perhaps as much as 15 or 20% if I recall correctly...

Good question re amylase...one answer perhaps is to encourage us to eat
tubers loaded with starch...could the enzyme make starchy things sweeter to
the taste and therefore more palatable?

--Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Moody" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 7:10 AM
Subject: Re: [P-F] sugar


> On Thu, 16 Nov 2000, Lorenzo wrote:
>
> > It's been a long time since I cared about chemistry but  are
> > not the molecular structures quite varied among carbs?
>
> Yes, but polysaccharides are ultimately broken down into
> monosaccarides, glucose and fructose, and then used.  A molecule
> of glucose from table sugar is not different from a molecule of
> glucose from an apple.  Of course, some sugars may be harder to
> process if the enzyme for doing so is in short supply, as is
> often the case for lactose.  And we have no enzyme at all for
> digesting cellulose.  Interestingly, the enzyme for digesting
> starch, amylase, is present in human saliva, so that the
> digestion of this polysaccharide actually begins in the mouth.  I
> wonder why this is so, since as far as I know the sugars cannot
> be used in the mouth.
>
> Todd Moody
> [log in to unmask]