Steps in the ring closure (hemiacetal synthesis):
1. The electrons on the alcohol oxygen are used to bond the carbon #1 to make an ether (red oxygen atom).
2. The hydrogen (green) is transferred to the carbonyl oxygen (green) to make a new alcohol group (green).
The chair structures are always written with the orientation depicted on the left to avoid confusion.
Hemiacetal Functional Group:
Carbon # 1 is now called the anomeric carbon and is the center of a hemiacetal functional group. A carbon that has both an ether oxygen and an alcohol group is a hemiacetal.
Open graphic of hemiacetal in a new window
Compare Alpha and Beta Glucose in the Chair Structures:
The position of the -OH group on the anomeric carbon (#1) is an important distinction for carbohydrate chemistry.
The Beta position is defined as the -OH being on the same side of the ring as the C # 6. In the chair structure this results in a horizontal projection.
The Alpha position is defined as the -OH being on the opposite side of the ring as the C # 6. In the chair structure this results in a downward projection.
The alpha and beta label is not applied to any other carbon - only the anomeric carbon, in this case # 1.
Compare Alpha and Beta Glucose- Chime in new window
Compare Alpha and Beta Glucose in the Haworth Structures:
Open graphic of Haworth Structures in a new window
The Beta position is defined as the -OH being on the same side of the ring as the C # 6. In the Haworth structure this results in an upward projection.
The Alpha position is defined as the -OH being on the opposite side of the ring as the C # 6. In the Haworth structure this also results in a downward projection.
Glucose news, articles and information:
How cinnamon helps prevent diabetes
1/28/2011 - A growing body of research suggests that the common spice cinnamon can help prevent and regulate diabetes. Cinnamon is derived from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, and has a long history as a culinary and medicinal plant. Its uses in traditional medicine include the treatment of colds, congestion...
Control blood sugar to prevent diabetes and extend lifespan
1/19/2011 - Our body did not evolve to metabolize the large amount of carbohydrate calories consumed by many individuals today. High levels of blood glucose are a significant underlying factor that leads to the development and proliferation of many age-related diseases. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and...
High Fructose Corn Syrup - Two reasons to avoid this Corn Sugar
12/29/2010 - The move is on to further muddy the waters pertaining to High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The goal is to convince or confuse consumers into thinking that HFCS is like sugar by changing its name to Corn Sugar. While there are issues that surround processed sugar, HFCS or Corn Sugar presents a wider problem....
Middle-Age Weight Gain - Fight insulin resistance
12/8/2010 - Many people who have never had a weight problem suddenly find themselves with extra stomach fat in middle age. For forty and fifty year olds, it is often a lot harder to lose this fat than it is for younger people. This article is a reminder as to why this is the case and what can be done to reduce...
Almonds, cinnamon and chromium naturally regulate blood sugar to prevent chronic disease
12/4/2010 - Many people don`t give a second thought to their blood glucose levels until a physician indicates a problem with sugar regulation or there is a diagnosis of diabetes. At this point, a cascade of metabolically mediated events is taking place that paves the road toward chronic disease and an early demise....
Prevent Cancer and Lose Weight Naturally by Limiting Fructose
10/1/2010 - The link between fructose consumption and many forms of cancer are quite evident, as this form of sugar derived from fruit provides fuel to cancer cells, causing them to divide and proliferate. Fructose is an inexpensive sweetener used in many processed foods and drinks and is most frequently found...
Cinnamon extract reduces risk of diabetes and heart disease
8/27/2010 - A recent study headed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified a link between cinnamon intake and reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. According to the research, water-soluble cinnamon extract, which is high in antioxidants, helps to decrease glucose levels in the blood as...
Scientists discover how polyphenols in green tea may protect health of diabetics
8/17/2010 - Having a cup of tea involves a lot more than meets the eye -- and the taste buds. It turns out that many varieties of teas contain phytochemicals loaded with a host of health benefits. For example, as NaturalNews has previously reported, green tea in particular may help prevent and treat osteoporosis...
Cancer cells love high fructose corn syrup
8/5/2010 - Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) recently conducted a study revealing that cancer cells have a particular liking for refined fructose. In tests, pancreatic cancer cells quickly fed on refined fructose and used it to divide and proliferate rapidly within the body. "These...
Save Your Health by Avoiding Fructose
8/5/2010 - We've all heard about the dangers of eating too much sugar. Recently further evidence has come to light that demonstrates there is a specific component of sugar responsible for these dangers: fructose. What is Fructose? Fructose is a monosaccharide, a simple sugar. Refined cane sugar is essentially...
Electromagnetic Fields Lead to Diabetic Disasters
7/31/2010 - In recent years, many of us have grown increasingly aware of the possible dangers posed by Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) [1]. As electrical and wireless applications continue to become more ubiquitous in society, so our exposure to EMFs continues to climb. Although low levels of natural electromagnetic...
A diet loaded with antioxidant rich foods improves insulin resistance
7/12/2010 - According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD), insulin resistance is a condition in which the pancreas eventually can't keep up with the body's demand for insulin (a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy). Eventually, an excess of glucose builds...
Chokeberry extract found to stop weight gain, regulate blood glucose and halt inflammation
5/3/2010 - Native Americans have traditionally used dried chokeberries that grow in eastern deciduous forests of the U.S. to make teas. The plants are also used as landscape plantings throughout much of the country and a variety of birds like to feast on the bright red and dark purple fruits from chokeberry bushes....
Fructose fueling childhood obesity, diabetes
5/2/2010 - Widespread use of the sweetener fructose may be directly responsible for some of the ongoing increase in rates of childhood diabetes and obesity, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California-Davis and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fructose...
Prevent and Fight Cancer through Correct Nutrition
4/15/2010 - Preventing cancer starts with lowering the risk of getting cancer in the first place. Plenty of exercise and a healthy diet go without saying, as does avoiding harmful habits such as smoking. Much has been said on Natural News regarding the health benefits of organic vegetables and other whole foods....
Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages and Processed Foods
1/27/2010 - If you think consuming products with high fructose corn syrup is a good way to avoid sugar, think again. You are better off with sugar! Of course, you probably know by now that any aspartame type sweetener is out of the question. But high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also a very poor choice. HFCS...
Spice Up Your Smoothies with Cinnamon Nutrition
1/24/2010 - Cinnamon nutrition has become very popular as a supplement in the USA. It is inexpensive, safe, and with proven health benefits. Most people who use cinnamon take cinnamon capsules. A more effective way to enjoy the health benefits of cinnamon nutrition, however, is to add the right kind of cinnamon...
Chromium prevents diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity
11/5/2009 - Of all the trace minerals, chromium may be the most beneficial to diabetes patients. It's an insulin potentiator, so it makes the body's own insulin production go further. If you have diabetes or blood sugar disorders, you need to know about chromium. We've assembled a large collection of quotes...
High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Raise Bad Cholesterol Levels
10/8/2009 - In what may be more evidence of the risks of high-fructose corn syrup, researchers from the University of California-Davis have found that consumption of fructose-sweetened drinks appears to raise the body's levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol in a way that glucose-sweetened drinks do not. The study was...
Cinnamon spice helps prevent diabetes
10/5/2009 - When it comes to health care reform in America, if we hope to make real progress, we've got to consider safe, affordable solutions that really work to prevent disease. There's hardly a better example of this than cinnamon and its ability to help regulate blood sugar and prevent diabetes. Here, you'll...
Researchers Find Kudzu, the Vine That Ate The South, Loaded With Health Benefits
10/2/2009 - Kudzu, first introduced to the U.S. in l876 when the Japanese government brought the vine for a garden display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, is often called the vine that ate the south. You'll understand why if you drive down country and even some suburban roads in Georgia, Alabama and...
Rick Dina Part I: Misconceptions about Carbohydrates and Insulin
8/23/2009 - This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni's Rawkathon, which can be found at http://www.Rawkathon.com. In this excerpt, Rick Dina shares on misconceptions about carbohydrates and insulin. Rawkathon with Rick Dina. Rick Dina has been a raw foodist for over 20 years. Rick is a chiropractor and...
Naturally Preventable Metabolic Syndrome May Cause Breast Cancer
8/1/2009 - Discovering that physiological changes found in about 47 million Americans could be causing breast cancer may not sound like good news, but it is. Here's why: new research just published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, concludes...