anyone heard of lefthanded sugar ?

Answer 1

yes there is the following is a clip from a web site I found
Left-Handed Sugar

The perfect sugar substitute probably doesn't exist, but left-handed sugar (L-sugar for short) sounds very close. This is a substance with its molecules arranged in the mirror image (much as your left hand is the mirror image of your right hand) of regular sugar. The big difference is it can't be digested and absorbed by your body because our digestive systems only "fit" the regular sugar arrangement. It would be like trying to put your left hand into your right glove. And if it can't be digested and absorbed it will pass right through the body so it can't supply any calories. L-sugar supposedly looks like, cooks like, and most importantly, tastes like regular sugar.

Now the artificial fats enter into the picture. Fat of all kinds (solid, liquid, saturated or unsaturated) is a concentrated form of calories. Fat provides nine calories in only one gram (about the weight of a small paper clip), whereas protein or carbohydrate each provide four calories per gram. And evidence is building dietary fat is more easily converted to body fat than are either carbohydrate or protein. So if we could find a way to decrease the fat in our diets (without making any sacrifices, of course), then we could reduce our calories even more drastically than by using sugar substitutes. Imagine fat-free french fries and rich ice cream with less than half the calories.

Answer 2

I think they must be talking about L- isomers.

The chemical structure of some chemicals is "handed". That is, some molecules of a particular chemical look like a mirror image of others. These are called L and D, or alpha and beta or + and - forms.

L stands for labial and D for dextral which apparently is latin for left and right (although I always though latin for left was sinistral - my school teachers were fond of telling me that anyway and I never queried it at uni).

Take an example sugar like glucose (there are loads of different sugars around, eg sucrose, dextrose, lactose, maltose). Glucose is the simplest of the sugars and does come as D-Glucose and L-Glucose. The melting point, density and all sorts of physical properties would be the same; they would be very difficult to separate if you had a mixture of the two (and if you manufacture a chemical with left and right-handed forms you usually will end up with a mixture of both.)
The main diference comes when you form polymers.
I forget which is which off the top of my head, but if you polymerise one form (isomer) of glucose you get starch which you can eat)awhile polymerising the other gives cellulose (which you can't eat, unless you are a goat). So it can make a big difference which form you have.
Other diffences between L and D forms of a chemical can be in taste or the fact that they rotate light in opposite directions.


I should mention that sometimes it is only part of the molecule that is "mirrored" and apologies forthe speling. Have been doing some lunchtime research into the effet of yeast on solutions of sugar and barley.

On sober reflection, ins is right about the derivation of the names -(thank you ins for correcting my demented recollection. God, I hope nothing Freudian at work there !) - the rest I stand by as an accurate non-chemist's layman's guide (which I presume you are. Grave apologies if I'm wrong!)

Answer 3

This refers to Optical Isomerism where molecules can be arranged the other way as well around a single carbon atom.

One version will rotate plane polarized light in one direction a certain amount, the other will rotate light in the opposite direction. The two forms have the same molecular formula but differ in this property.

If I remember correctly left handed sugar is levorotationary as opposed to dextrorotationary.

L stands for Labial Ian ??
Labia are found on a woman as part of her (achem) anatomy
Labia in latin means "lips" and Labial would be of or relating to would it not?

Answer 4

Yes. was supposed to be the chocoholics holy grail, modified sugar molecules that the body couldn't process as normal sugar, so would'nt make you fat, and promised chocolate that tasted exactly like normal chocolate, but with near zero calories.

But... The problem was just what the body did when this left handed sugar was ingested, people who tried it found their bodies took little time to rid itself of the product, you now only see the L-sugar in laxitives!!

Answer 5

Methinks someone has been having you on , unless it is you trying to see who will bite on this question .
Sounds like the sort of thing a new start at work would be asked to fetch . like tartan paint

Answer 6

Left-handed sugar would probably be l-glucose, as opposed to d-glucose (aka dextrose).

Answer 7

Hello, Are you one of the Pratts thats just come out of Big Brother?Of course you can get L/handed suger,(Quote)Add two cup fulls of suger to the mix stir gently to the left holding basin with the right hand.!(unquote).There's your answer L/handed suger.

Answer 8

?? no??