Analysis of sugar and starch contents of selected staple foods consumed by elderly people in Abakaliki Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study compared the sugar and starch contents of some Nigerian staple foods mostly eaten by elderly people for their suitability in their diet. Foods that were investigated include corn, semo, millet, yellow gari, white gari, oat and wheat. The starch content was determined by acid hydrolysis using concentrated HCl. The sugar content was determined by the Lane Eynon method, and starch content calculated from the resulting sugar content. The results showed that the sugar content of the samples ranged from 69.03% (Oat) to 78.93% (White Gari), while the starch content of the samples ranged from 62.13% (Oat) to 71.04% (White Gari). The results showed that White gari has the highest percentage of starch while Corn and Oat have the least. The study concluded that whole grains such as corn and oat with low starch and sugar content would be a more suitable choice for the elderly people, especially those with diabetes, and other health related issues.