verbascose

“Most of us think of gluten as the main culprit in grain sensitivities, allergies and immune system insults, but there are several other organic compounds such as raffinose, stachyose, phytic acid phytates, lectins and verbascose that are harmful irritants to humans yet well-tolerated and nourishing for ruminants.”

The Huffington Post: Georgianna Donadio, MSc, Ph.D., D.C.: Rethinking Grain-Based Carbohydrates Part II

“The oligosaccharides “several-unit sugars” raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose are 3-, 4-, and 5-ring sugars, respectively, all too large to trigger our sweet detectors, so they’re tasteless.”

Simon & Schuster: On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen