Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are long chains, called polymers, of simple sugar units. Starch and glycogen are made of strands of glucose chains linked by alpha bonds. Starch is the form in which plants store energy. We have enzymes that break down the glucose alpha bonds, releasing the sugar that will be absorbed into the blood stream.
The digestion begins in the mouth, where enzymes in the saliva break down the carbohydrates into maltose. When the maltose reaches the small intestine, an enzyme splits it into glucose molecules that can be absorbed into the blood (disaccharides are broken down into their monosaccharides).
Sucrose undergoes the same process, except when it reaches the small intestine it is digested (broken down) into glucose and fructose. 1 The glucose is absorbed in the blood stream, but only when the fructose is transported to the liver and is converted to glucose, does it become absorbed into the blood stream as well. Inside the body’s small intestine live bacteria called Escherichia Coli, also known as E. coli. The bacteria assist in food absorption, waste processing and vitamin K production. When the E. coli digests sugars, gases like carbon dioxide and methane are released. 2
1This process is described on the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse page.
2Found on Dr. Apurva Dave’s website for simple scientific questions. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The University of Chicago. Several other studies point to this conclusion.
Research
The experiment conducted for this research used Truvía, Wholesome Sweetener’s organic cane sugar, Healthy Food’s Sorbitol, Rapunzel Rize dry yeast, and Splenda.
Truvía has erythritol, rebiana, and natural flavors as its ingredients. Erythritol is a naturally fermented sugar alcohol found in grapes, melons, and pears. Rebiana comes from the sweet leaf of the Stevia plant, native to South America
The Wholesome Sweeteners organic sugar is organic evaporated cane juice.
Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar is made from organic sugar cane grown in South America and was certified ‘organic’ by Quality Assurance International.
Healthy Foods Sorbitol contains100% pure sorbitol, which is originally derived from the mountain sorberry.3 Sorbitol is a six-carbon sugar alcohol, which occurs naturally and is also produced synthetically from glucose.4 Glucose is a simple sugar and a product of photosynthesis in plants. Sorbitol is used as a laxative and as a sweetening agent.5
3This comes straight from the description on the box.
4This fact was found in the medical dictionary from Wrong Diagnosis.
This site pulls its facts from other sources such as doctor’s medical journals and medical dictionaries.
5This information was found in Stedman’s Medical Dictionary published in 2006. This information can also be found in the national library of medicine
The Rapunzel Rize yeast is organic active dry yeast that is processed without any chemicals and is GMO-free.6
Splenda contains dextrose, maltodextrin, and sucralose. Dextrose is also known as glucose.7 Maltodextrin is an easily digestible carbohydrate made from natural cornstarch and it is also a polymer of dextrose.8
“Sucralose is a molecule of sugar chemically altered to yield three hydroxyl groups and replace them with three chlorine atoms. Natural sugar is a hydrocarbon built around 12 carbon atoms. When turned into Splenda it becomes a chlorocarbon.” 9
How is sucralose made? “Sucralose is made through a multi-step process that starts with sugar and converts it to a no calorie, non-carbohydrate sweetener. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. This process converts sucrose (sugar) to sucralose. The result is an exceptionally stable sweetener that tastes like sugar, but without sugar's calories.” 10
Sugar Alcohols:
In previous explanations of the carbohydrates used in the experiment, the mention of sugar alcohol was quite frequent, and it is important to understand what it is.
What are sugar Alcohols? Sugar alcohols are ; part of their chemical structure resembles sugar, and part of it resembles alcohol. Examples of common sugar alcohols are maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and xylitol.
6This information can be found on the Rapunzel products website.
7This came from the definition of Dextrose found in the Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary.
8Grain Processing Corporation provided this information.
9James Bowen, a physician and biochemist, quoted this description of sucralose.
10This entire answer can be found on the Splenda ‘frequently asked questions’ page.
Where do sugar alcohols come from? Sugar alcohols naturally occur in plants, but are mostly manufactured from other sugars and starches. Some of them are extracted from plants (sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed)
The Health Press11 states that some diet chocolate contains sorbitol or fructose instead of sugar. Most of this is not absorbed, but can be acted on by the large bowel bacteria to cause flatulence. Fruit juices contain a lot of fructose, and can cause gas and bloating.
Dr. Frank Morosky12, a flatulence expert, says lower intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. The body does not digest and absorb some sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods. This is because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes. Sugars are known to create gas: Fructose is naturally present in onions, artichokes, pears, and wheat. It is also used as a sweetener in some soft drinks and fruit drinks. Sorbitol is an artificial sweetener in many dietetic foods and sugar free candies and gums.
In Morosky’s article12 “Flatulence is Embarrassing, but it doesn't have to be!" , he says that vegetables, fruits, carbonated beverages, and foods containing Sorbitol cause excessive and smelly gas. Morosky also said that the acid in our stomachs churning during the digestion of food along with bacteria in the colon working on unabsorbed sugar creates carbon dioxide.
11"Reasons for farting and belching ." Embarrassing Problems. 04 April 2009. Health Press Ltd., Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.embarrassingproblems.com/wind_reasons.htm >.
12 Morosky, Frank. "Flatulence is Embarrassing, but it doesn't have to be!." Flat-D. 2008. Flatulence Odor Solution, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.flat-d.com/flatulence.html>.
Carbonated beverages also contain fructose as a sweetener, according to “Nutrition Fact Sheet: Carbohydrates” by Northwestern University13. Fruits and vegetables naturally contain sugars that make up Truvía. The article also says that lots of different types of foods contain complex sugars; for example, beans contain a complex sugar called raffinose that is not easily broken down in the small intestine.
Hemorrhoids in Plain English’s13 article, “Primary Reason for Farts: Too much sugar”, said that complex sugars are difficult to digest and absorb, leading to hydrogen and carbon dioxide production. Under “Prevention tips”, the article lists some things you can change to prevent the amount of gas you are passing. It says that if you have irritable bowel syndrome, it would be wise to treat it, because it reduces the body’s ability to digest complex sugars. They suggest cutting down on complex sugars as they produce gas, and to avoid artificial sweeteners all together. They suggest that taking certain enzymes to break down complex sugars makes them easier to digest.
13 "Nutrition Fact Sheets: Carbohydrates." Northwestern University. 2009. Northwestern University, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/carbohydrates.html>.
14 "Fart or Flatulence." Hemorrhoids in Plain English. 2009. Hemorrhoids in Plain English, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.hemorrhoidsinplainenglish.com/anorectal/flatulence.htm>.
Experiment
Research Question: Is there a difference in the amount of carbon dioxide released by digesting certain kinds of carbohydrates?
Hypothesis: The artificial sugars will produce more gas. As stated previously; the body’s intestines contain bacteria called Escherichia Coli, or E. coli for short. When this bacteria digest sugars that the body intakes, carbon dioxide is released.
Independent variables include the type of sugar digested by yeast culture; Cane Sugar, Sorbitol, Truvia, and Splenda were used in this experiment.
Dependent Variable: Volume of carbon dioxide produced measured by collecting gas over water.
Controlled Variables: A number of variables were held constant to ensure that any difference in gas production was only due to the type of carbohydrate. These include the amount and type of yeast, amount of water, temperature of the water, temperature of the room, amount of carbohydrate (artificial and natural)
Materials:
- No. 6 rubber stopper with 1 hole
- 60 cm length of rubber tubing with 5 mm diameter
- 10 cm length of 5 mm diameter glass tubing
- Digital Stopwatch
- Digital thermometer (± 0.1 °C)
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100 cm3 graduated cylinder (± 1 cm3)
- Digital balance (± 0.01 g)
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Two 250 cm3 Erlenmeyer flasks
- One plastic tub, large enough to hold the graduated cylinder horizontally (approximately 15 cm or more in height)
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500 cm3 Beaker
- Sorbitol (.94g per trial-because that was how much was contained in the original packet)
- Organic evaporated cane juice - organic sugar (.94g per trial)
- Truvía (.94g per trial)
- Splenda (.94g per trial)
- Yeast (1.0g per trial)
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Tap water at 20°C (50mL per trial)
- Two 100mL Graduated Cylinders
- Ring stand
- Ring stand clamp
Procedure:
- Fill the plastic tub with tap water (about 4-5 inches)
- Place a ring stand and a ring clamp on the ring stand in the tub of water.
- In order to collect the carbon dioxide released, fill the graduated cylinder full of water. Keeping the opening of the cylinder under water, turn it upside down and secure it via clamping it to the ring stand in the tub. (Make sure to leave at least one centimeter of the top of the graduated cylinder under water)
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The graduated cylinder should now be upside down, full of water and with its opening under the surface of the water in the tub. It is ready to trap CO2 produced by the yeast-water-carbohydrate mixture.
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Measure out 1.0g of the yeast and .94g of the carbohydrate. Combine both ingredients in an Erlenmeyer flask. Measure 50mL of tap water (room temperature or 20°C) in a graduated cylinder.
- Take the rubber stopper that is attached to the glass tube and rubber tube and feed the rubber tube end into the graduated cylinder, being careful not to allow any air bubbles to enter the cylinder.
- When the tube is secured in the graduated cylinder, pour the 50mL of water into the Erlenmeyer flask (with the yeast-sorbitol mixture) and quickly stopper the flask with the stopper-rubber tube that is connected to the graduated cylinder in the tub. Start the stopwatch immediately and wait fifteen minutes before recording the amount of carbon dioxide collected.
a. Fill the rubber tube with water before attaching it to the flask. When you attach the stopper and tube to the flask, make sure the water level in the plastic tub is even with the water level in the flask.
- Pay attention very carefully at the stopwatch, once it reaches fifteen minutes, stop it and record the amount of carbon dioxide collected in the graduated cylinder (in mL).
- Once the amount is recorded, remove the rubber stopper and rinse the flask thoroughly with water.
- Repeat steps 1-6 two more times to get a total of three trials for Sorbitol.
- Once the three trials are completed, repeat steps 1-7, using the carbohydrates
Data Collection:
- Room temperature: 21.3 °C (± 0.1 °C)
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Water temperature: 20.7°C (± 0.1 °C)
- Volume of water in the mixture: 50mL (± 1mL)
- Amount of carbohydrate used: .94g (± 0.01g)
- Amount of organic active dry yeast used: 1.00g (± 0.01g)
Evaluation/Conclusion:
The data showed the collection of carbon dioxide from Splenda (an artificial sweetener) was the highest with 18.6mL (±.1mL) of all the carbohydrates. Sorbitol (and artificial sweetener) was second highest with 16mL (±.1mL), followed by the organic sugar with 15.3mL (±.1mL), and finally the Truvía (a natural sweetener) at 14mL (±.1mL) collected. This trend supports the previously mentioned sources, who all said that artificial or substitute sugars caused more gas in the body.
The use of artificial sweeteners is mainly for the low-calorie intake. Most diabetics can only take or use artificial sweeteners, because the natural sugars will spike their insulin levels. Also, people who watch what they eat will generally lean more towards the low-calorie option.
An improvement for the future might be extending the variety of natural and artificial sugars used. This experiment may provide a healthier and less gaseous option for those on a diet or those with diabetes. In the future it would also be an improvement to test the results collected with the yeast-water-carbohydrate mixture to actual human digestion of natural and artificial sweeteners.
Bibliographies
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Sizer, Frances, and Whitney, Eleanor (1997). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 7th edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
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Lithaw, Paul N. Glycolysis: Regulation, Processes and Diseases. 1. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers Inc., 2009. Print.
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Murray, Andy. "Sweeten to Taste." Beverage Spectrum Magazine - BevNet 1 October 2007: Print.
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Anthony Carpi, Ph.D. "Carbohydrates," Visionlearning Vol. 2 Issue. 5, 2003.
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Bounds, Laura E.; Agnor, Dottiedee; Darnell, Gayden S.; and Shea, Kirstin Brekken (2003). Health and Fitness: A Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle, 2nd edition. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
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Apurva, Dave. "Why do some foods give me gas?" Dr. Dave Science (2007). 27 Oct 2009.
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Duyff, Roberta Larson (2002). American Dietetic Association: Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, 2nd edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
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Mahan, L. Kathleen, and Escott-Stump, Sylvia (2000). Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy, 10th edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
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Robbins, Gwen; Powers, Debbie; and Burgess, Sharon (2002). A Wellness Way of Life, 5th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Wardlaw, Gordon M., and Kessel, Margaret (2002). Perspectives in Nutrition, 5th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Wilmore, Jack H., and Costill, David L. (1999). Physiology of Sport and Exercise, 2nd edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
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Kennedy, Ron. "Carbohydrates in nutrition." Doctor's Medical Library (2008).
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Bowen, James M.D. "The Lethal Science of Splenda, A Poisonous Chlorocarbon”. Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World. 08 May 2008. 27 Oct 2009.
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Gold, Mark D. "Splenda." Sucralose / Splenda Toxicity Reaction Samples. E-mails: Splenda Toxicity Information Center, 30 July 2007. Print.
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Dolson, Laura. "What Are Sugar Alcohols?." About (April 13, 2009). 28 Oct 2009.
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"Carbohydrates- Chemical Structure." Faqs. 2009. Advameg Inc., Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Carbohydrates.html>.
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"Your Digestive System and How It Works." National Digestive Diseases. April 2008. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/>.
-
"Nutrition Fact Sheets: Carbohydrates." Northwestern University. 2009. Northwestern University, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/carbohydrates.html>.
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"Maltrin-Maltodextrin Information." Grain Processing Corporation. 2009. Grain Processing Corporation, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.grainprocessing.com/food/malinfo.html >.
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"Splenda- No Calorie Sweetener FAQ's." Splends Brand. 2009. McNeil Nutritionals, Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.splenda.com >.
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"Rize Yeast." Organic Rapunzel Fair trade. 2008. Rapunzel, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.rapunzel.com >.
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"Fair Trade Certified Organic Sugar." Wholesome Sweeteners. 2009. Wholesome Sweeteners, Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/>.
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"Begins With the Plant." Truvia. 2009. Truvia Company LLC, Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.truvia.com/>.
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"Sorbitol." Wrong Diagnosis. 2007. Health Grades Inc., Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/medical/sorbitol.htm >.
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Quellon, Simon. "Ingredients- Sorbitol." Science Toys. 2008. Science Toys, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/sorbitol.html>.
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"Sorbitol molecular formula." Chem Spider. 27 Apr 2007. RSC, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.chemspider.com/RecordView.aspx?rid=8ea00a28-e6b0-4ffe-80be-04490e47e50e>.
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"Definition of Dextrose." MedicineNet. 2009. MedicineNet, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7040>.
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Bender, Hal. "Sucrose." CH 106 - Lesson 7 Carbohydrates. 2003. Clackamas Community College, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://dl.clackamas.edu/ch106-07/sucrose.htm >.
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Morosky, Frank. "Flatulence is Embarrassing, but it doesn't have to be!." Flat-D. 2008. Flatulence Odor Solution, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.flat-d.com/flatulence.html>.
-
"Reasons for farting and belching ." Embarrassing Problems. 04 April 2009. Health Press Ltd., Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.embarrassingproblems.com/wind_reasons.htm >.
-
"Fart or Flatulence." Hemorrhoids in Plain English. 2009. Hemorrhoids in Plain English, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.hemorrhoidsinplainenglish.com/anorectal/flatulence.htm>.
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"Rapunzel Rize Dry Yeast." Wellness Grocer. Web. 28 October 2009. <http://www.wellnessgrocer.com/rapunzel-yeast-active-dry-p-2095.html>.
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"Sorbitol." Nutricity. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.nutricity.com/n/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=3797&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=froogle>.
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"Truvía." All Star Health. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.allstarhealth.com/blog/miscellaneous/truvia-truths/>.
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"Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar." Wholesome Sweeteners. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/catproduct/2.html>.
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"Splenda." Splenda. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://splenda.com/>.
Appendix A
Ingredients
Rapunzel Rize Dry Yeast:
"Rapunzel Rize Dry Yeast." Wellness Grocer. Web. 28 October 2009. <http://www.wellnessgrocer.com/rapunzel-yeast-active-dry-p-2095.html>.
Sorbitol:
"Sorbitol." Nutricity. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.nutricity.com/n/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=3797&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=froogle>.
Truvía:
"Truvía." All Star Health. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.allstarhealth.com/blog/miscellaneous/truvia-truths/>.
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar:
"Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar." Wholesome Sweeteners. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/catproduct/2.html>.
Splenda:
"Splenda." Splenda. Web. 3 Dec 2009. <http://splenda.com/>.
Appendix B
Tables and Figures
Figure 1:
"Carbohydrates - Chemical Structure: Molecular structure of sugar." Scientific Psychic. Web. 24 Oct 2009. <http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/carbohydrates.html>.
Figure 2:
"Your Digestive System and How It Works." National Digestive Diseases. April 2008. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/>.
Figure 6, Table 1, and Graph 1:
These were created in Excel on my personal MacBook laptop.
Figure 3:
Quellon, Simon. "Ingredients- Sorbitol." Science Toys. 2008. Science Toys, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/sorbitol.html>.
Figures 4 and 5:
Quellon, Simon. "Ingredients- Sorbitol." Science Toys. 2008. Science Toys, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/sorbitol.html>.
Table 2:
"Carbohydrates- Chemical Structure." Faqs. 2009. Advameg Inc., Web. 27 Oct 2009. <http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Carbohydrates.html>.
Table 3:
"Nutrition Fact Sheets: Carbohydrates." Northwestern University. 2009. Northwestern University, Web. 28 Oct 2009. <http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/carbohydrates.html>.
