Scientists have found a way to turn sweet potatoes into an antioxidant-rich, gluten-free flour. Reported by the American Chemical Society.
Wheat flour has been the basis of the diet of Russia and the Western world for decades. At the same time, part of the population suffers from intolerance to gluten, the protein that makes dough sticky. When eaten in people with individual intolerance, abdominal pain, nausea and intestinal problems begin.
Ofelia Ruzo-Sandez and her colleagues wanted to investigate how two different drying temperatures and different grinding methods affect the properties of sweet potato flour. Sweet potato samples were ground once or twice after drying at 50 or 80 degrees. Various parameters were examined for each sample, and each was compared to store-bought sweet potato flour and conventional wheat flour. Regardless of the drying temperature, a single grind will do enough damage to make the starch ideal for gluten-free bread. Double grinding further disrupted the crystallinity of the starch, resulting in ideal thickeners for porridge or sauces. A loaf of bread made from high-temperature dried flour and ground once showed a higher antioxidant capacity than a loaf made from store-bought sweet potato or wheat flour.
The researchers hope these results can help expand the use of sweet potato flour for both home cooks and the food industry.
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