Disaccharides
Disaccharides
Our daily diet has three main types of disaccharides: sucrose, lactose, and maltose.
Sucrose is a disaccharide, the sugar sold in the grocery store as table sugar, icing sugar, or granular sugar. Each sucrose molecule comprises one unit of glucose and one unit of fructose. Sucrose is found in many fruits and vegetables and in high concentrations in sugarcane and sugar beets, used to extract sucrose sold as table sugar in grocery stores.
Lactose, commonly known as milk sugar, comprises one glucose unit and one galactose unit in each lactose molecule. Lactose is prevalent in dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and milk.
Maltose is a disaccharide. Two molecules of glucose fuse to form each maltose molecule. Maltose is produced in the seeds and roots of plants as they break down the stored energy and nutrients to sprout. Thus, maltose is contained naturally in high amounts in foods like cereals, sweet potatoes, and certain fruits.​​​​​​​​
​Disaccharides: When two monosaccharides bind chemically, they form a disaccharide.​​​​​​​​​​
Lactose (from dairy) is a disaccharide synthesized by one galactose + one glucose subunit.
Sucrose (from sugar beet and cane sugar) is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar.
Maltose (from molasses, beer).
Maltose is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined together.
