How do the chemical structures such as bonding and branching impact the structure, properties, and functions of the digestible carbohydrates and fibers found in food?

Answer 1

The type of glycosidic bond determines digestibility; alpha bonds are digestible by humans, whereas beta bonds are not. The arrangement of glucose molecules in starch can be linear (amylose) or highly branched (amylopectin). The numerous branch points when compared to linear points have a physiological advantage because enzymes can hydrolyze multiple glycosidic bonds simultaneously.