The body needs to use carbohydrates, including sugars, as an energy source. However, food producers also add sugar to many products, which can lead a person’s blood sugar levels to become too high.
Consuming excessive amounts of added sugar can have adverse health effects, so guidelines recommend that people limit their intake.
In this article, we discuss the different types of sugar and explain whether the body needs them to function. We also look at the harmful effects of too much sugar and the recommended amounts to consume.
WHAT IS SUGAR?
Sugar is a form of Carbohydrate. The body breaks down all carbohydrates into sugar. There are different types of sugars, which vary in the structure of their molecules.
Monosaccharides comprise just one sugar molecule, making them the simplest form of sugar. They include:
glucose
galactose, which milk contains
fructose, a sugar common in fruits
Disaccharides or polysaccharides are sugars with two or more molecules. These include:
sucrose, which is a common form of table sugar
lactose, another sugar in milk and dairy products
starch
The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which enters the bloodstream and acts as a source of energy.
Some sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose, occur naturally in foods and drinks. Added sugars refer to any sugars in foods that are not naturally occurring, such as sugar in baked goods.
Foods or drinks may also contain highly processed sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.
Various names for sugars appear on food and drink labels, so people wishing to limit their sugar intake should look out for the following on ingredient lists:
raw sugar
corn sweetener or syrup
high fructose corn syrup
brown sugar
coconut sugar
fruit juice concentrates
honey
molasses
maple syrup
invert sugar
malt sugar
dextrose
fructose
glucose
maltose
sucrose
lactose
syrup
Sugar’s role in the body
Carbohydrates are fuels that provide the body with energy. The body breaks down foods containing carbohydrates into glucose, which can then enter the bloodstream.
Some glucose is essential for the brain, central nervous system and red blood cells to function properly.
The body has a natural feedback mechanism by which high glucose levels lead to increased insulin production, and low levels lead to decreased levels of this hormone. The body requires healthy insulin levels to function properly. If there is too little insulin or it no longer functions properly, a person can develop diabetes.
