| Food and Fitness: sugar |
Sugars are simple carbohydrates. They are sweet, crystalline, and soluble in water. They are classified chemically as monosaccharides and disaccharides. Common monosaccharides are glucose and fructose; common disaccharides are sucrose and lactose. The most common sugar is white table sugar consisting of sucrose.
In the UK, the average person consumes more than 1 kg (2 lb) of sugar each week. Chocolates, biscuits, sweets, and many soft drinks contain very high levels of sugar. Many of these are also high in fat. Highly refined white sugar and its products are often called ‘empty calories’ because, although they provide energy, they are very low in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Unrefined brown sugar, and the sugar in honey, is reputed to have more nutritional value than white sugar, but the difference is insignificant. No sugars contain significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. Sugar is a preservative and flavour enhancer. It is added to many processed foods, such as baked beans and soups.
Sugar has a bad reputation. Table sugar is sometimes referred to as ‘pure, white, and deadly’. Obesity, heart disease, and diabetes are just three diseases thought to be linked to high sugar consumption. However, although sugar is not very nutritious, there is little evidence that moderate consumption is harmful. There is much more evidence linking the above three diseases to overeating and lack of exercise. Of course, those people who are particularly carbohydrate-sensitive, or who are already suffering from obesity or diabetes, have to keep sugar consumption within strict limits. Frequent consumption of sucrose can encourage growth of oral bacteria (see tooth decay) and yeast infections. See also glucose.
