Maltose, or malt sugar, is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules bound together by a single atom of oxygen. Maltose is produced in the hydrolysis of starch, a digestive process in which glucose is released from the starch stored in plant-based foods. The sugar also occurs during the fermentation process that yields alcohol. A special enzyme known as amylase, which is found in saliva and elsewhere in the digestive system, breaks maltose down into glucose. In the diet, maltose is available only in a few foods, including barley.

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