.................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................... Carbohydrate absorption: Food processing, Meal Planning and Carb Blockers by Tanya Zilberter , PhD What influences carbohydrate absorption: fibers, nutrient interaction, and anti-nutrients. Carbohydrate absorption: fibers, nutrient interaction, and anti-nutrients. Carbohydrate absorption in the small intestine is theoretically considered to be complete. However, in reality foods do not yield pure glucose and starch. Many factors influence carbohydrate absorption. For one thing, insoluble fibers surround starchy food particles preventing the treatment by enzymes and thus reducing the amount digested. Soluble fibers also reduce the rate of absorption through slowing gastric emptying and forming a barrier between food bulk and the small intestine. Starch-protein interaction (as seen with gluten in wheat products) and starch-fat interactions have been shown to reduce the rate of absorption. Plus, fat is known to slow gastric emptying. There is a number of the so-called anti-nutrients in foods, for instance lectins, phytates and tannins, have been shown to reduce the digestibility of foods. For example, phytate can bind calcium thus reducing the rate of starch digestion. Food processing Food processing greatly influences carbohydrate digestion by modifying the structure of the food and its components. Food and cooking technologies historically aimed to making the food more available for digestive enzymes. Examples are starch gelatinization during boiling and baking and increasing the surface area by reducing the particle size during milling, crushing or flaking. However, processing may also reduce digestibility as seen in the production of pasta, resulting in a more compact physical structure. Meal planning and carb blockers. Studies showed that increasing the frequency of meals and reducing food intake during single meal helps to prolong the process of absorption thus decreasing the rate of absorption. This can perhaps explain some of advantages of frequent small meals versus a few square ones as it comes to weight management. The inhibitors of enzyme providing carbohydrate absorption have been developed for the treatment of diabetes, which reduce the rate of carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine. One example of this class of substance is acarbose, which inhibits carbohydrate digestion and absorption of starch, sucrose and maltose. NEXT: Glycemic Index - Practical Applications.Sign up to be notified! ................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................. Inside:     | Table of Content     | Articles        | Low Carb Diets and Cholesterol. Research and Testimonials        | Meal Frequency Increase Prolonges Carbohydrate Absorption        | Naturally Low Carb Foods: Cheese        | Glycemic Impact Diet, secrets revealed     | Facts About Dr. Atkins Diet & Calorie Intake.        | Low Carb and Calories. Studies     | Diet Plan        | Inside Banta: European Paradox     | Recipes        | Lamb Chektyrma. A Mid-Asian Soup Recipe        | Lamb Shorba. A Turkmenian recipe        | German low carb soup        | Authentic Low Carb No-bake Cheesecake        | 1. Pasta Lite and Cheese        | 2. Farmhouse Pasta Lite and Cheese        | 3. Mandarin Style Low Carb Spaghetti        | 4. Low Carb Elbows Casserole        | 5. Italian Sausage Low Carb Spaghetti        | 6. Low Carb Linguine Stew        | 7. Low Carb Penne Rigate        | 8. Low Carb Elbows Fagiole Soup     | Is Low Carb for You?     | Health Benefits of Low Carb Diets     | Facts About Dr. Atkins Diet Calorie Intake.     | Foods Releasing Insulin     | Health and Mood on Low-carb Diets     | Atkins Diet Statistics     | Overweight people - should they drop sugar or should they focus instead on eating less fatty food?     | Russian low carb soup recipe     | Naturally Low Carb. Recipes     | Harvard Goes Low Carb     | Hunza Bread     | Estonian cabbage cream soup     | Ketosis: Mystery or Misconception?        | Ketosis: Mystery or Misconception? -- 2     | Low Sugar Diet for the Hypoglycemics     | Low Carb Food and Mood     | Naturally Low Carb: Avocado Facts and Recipe     | Carbohydrates and Other Macronutrients: How Much?     | Easter Cheese Desserts     | Very low carb foods: 1 gram carbs or less     | Chocolate: Did you know? Facts and recipes     | Weight Loss Plateau?     | Low Carb Chocolate Cake     | The low carb GO-Diet: not only a balanced, but also clinically tested!     | Russian Baked Cheesecake     | Taste and Waist. Why they do not get along     | Zone Snacks        | Zone snack tip. Mini-Pita Iizza Recipe     | Sensation of Sweetness     | Search     | Green Tea and Low Carb Dieting     | Atkins Diet Tips     | Atkins Long Term Results     | Low Carb and Potassium     | Cooking sugar-free     | Atkins vs QuackWatch     | Low Carb and Exercise     | Before You Choose a Low Carb Diet     | Onion Soup, Low Carb Recipe     | Moldavian Chorba Soup. Low Carb Recipe     | No one benefits from refined carbohydrates.     | Calorie Intake on Atkins Diet     | Lamb Shorba. A low Carb Recipe     | Almond and Orange Cake     | Low Carb Article Archive     | Low Carb version of Low Fat Banana Bread     | One-Minute Zone Breakfasts     | The Zone - fast meal idea for tonight's dinner     | Curry Green Beens and Tofu by the Zone Diet     | South Beach Diet Recipe - Oriental Cabbage Salad     | Sonoma Goes Glycemic     | Low Carb Recipe Makeover     | Low Carb Food - Wild Salmon