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Sugar is a sweet, crystalline substance that is obtained from sugar beet or sugar cane. What is its effect on he alth? Some people believe that sugar is harmful, others that sugar is essential in the diet. Check if sugar is he althy or harmful.

Sugar- table, white, crystal, brown, cane, beetroot, etc. - are terms referring to the same substance, i.e. sucrose. In terms of chemical structure, sucrose belongs to carbohydrates, and more specifically - to disaccharides. It is made of two monosaccharide molecules - glucose and fructose.

Sucrose is found in large amounts in sugar cane and sugar beets. We can also find it in some fruits (e.g. pineapples) and vegetables (e.g. carrots). Sucrose is in the form of colorless or white crystals (depending on the degree of grinding), has a sweet taste and dissolves well in water.

Sugar - types

Table sugar, or sucrose, can be obtained from sugar beet (beet sugar) and sugar cane (cane sugar). In terms of their chemical structure and nutritional value, the two types of sugar are the same. Both beet and cane sugar can be white refined sugar (refined, free from molasses) and brown sugar containing a small amount of molasses that gives it color.

Beet sugar comes in the form of grains of various sizes: powder, fine, crystal and raffinade. A sophisticated type of sugar is ice candies - a single saccharose crystal that looks like uncut precious stones, and amber candies with a brown color, resembling amber. You can also meet sugar head, i.e. a cone-shaped nugget formed by pressing crystals.

Apart from brown and white crystals, cane sugar can have different forms. The best known are Demerara and Muscovado, but traditional varieties such as panela, desi and gur are only available in the producing countries.

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Sugar -"Carbohydrates, including sugars"

The term "sugar" is very capacious and has many meanings. In addition to the first association with white, sweet crystals, it can describe much more. The terms "carbohydrates in food" and "sugars in food" are often used interchangeably.

Additional chaos is introduced by the fact that sugars are classified differently by chemists and nutritionists. From the chemical point of view, sucrose is a disaccharide, i.e. already a complex sugar. However, in the nutritional sciences, sucrose is one of the simple sugars due to its very fast digestion and absorption. We will stick to the nutritional definition - sucrose is one of the simple sugars.

What sugars do we distinguish in food?

  • simple sugars - all monosaccharides (e.g. glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (e.g. lactose, sucrose) occurring naturally or artificially in a product or dish
  • sugars / complex carbohydrates - sugars with larger, more complex molecules (mainly starch) most often found naturally in products (their main sources are bread, groats, pasta, rice)
  • free sugars - all sugars added to food by the producer, cook and consumer, as well as sugars naturally found in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit concentrates

Free sugars must be described in their composition on the label of the finished food. We will find them, among others under the following slogans: sugar, sucrose, glucose-fructose syrup, high-fructose syrup, corn syrup, invert sugar, invert sugar syrup, dextrose, rice syrup, etc.

Not all of these are identical to sucrose, or white sugar, in terms of their composition (50% glucose and 50% fructose). The proportions of monosaccharides in them may be different, but the he alth effect of taking them is, in simple terms, the same, or it may be even worse than for white sugar.

What can be read from the nutritional value table on the packaging of the finished product? There you will find information about the sum of all carbohydrates, i.e. both simple, complex and added sugars.

The information "including sugars" indicates the amount of simple sugars in the product. However, we will not find a separate information about the amount of free sugars, i.e. those that we should avoid the most.

It is worth noting that in the case of honey and fruit juices, all carbohydrates are free sugars, even though they occur naturally in the product. These products are many times less harmful than processed foods sweetened with sugar, but they are still sources of simple sugars.

Sugar - nutritional values, calories

The nutritional value of sugar is negligible.The term "empty calories" fits perfectly, as it supplies the body with nothing but energy. Crystal sugar is at least 99% sucrose, which is pure carbohydrate. 1 g of carbohydrates provides 4 kcal. There are at least 393 kcal in 100 g of sugar.

There are no vitamins in it and only microscopic amounts of minerals (iron), although with a clear conscience it can be said that there are no minerals in it either. In the case of brown sugar, there are trace amounts of minerals from molasses, but these are very small.

So much so that they are of no importance for nourishing the body. Unless someone was eating sugar by kilos. I urge you not to be fooled by the sellers of "he althy" brown sugar, who mention a litany of minerals and their impact on he alth in the product description. Yes, they are there, but in such a small amount that, with rational consumption of sugar, they have no effect on covering the demand for minerals.

Traditional forms of sugar, such as panela or amber candies, have higher nutritional value, but you have to remember that it is still mainly sucrose.

Worth knowing

Sugar - the role of sugar in the body

All carbohydrates from food, including sugar, are the body's primary source of energy, providing 4 kcal per gram. Carbohydrates are metabolized by the digestive system to glucose (monosugar) and used in this form by the cells of the body. Glucose was long thought to be the only source of energy for the brain, so a certain amount of carbohydrate (130 g) was considered essential in the diet.

It is now known that the brain can "feed on" ketone bodies, which are the product of the breakdown of fats. Glucose that is not used up in energy processes is converted into glycogen - sugar stored in the liver and muscles. With the use of sugars, structures such as proteoglycans, glycoproteins and glycolipids are created in the body.

Sugar and he alth. Harmfulness of sugar

It's not the sugar itself that is bad. Excess sugar is harmful. However, in this day and age, when food is plentiful and sugar can be found almost anywhere, it is not easy to get enough of it.

The vast majority of the population, especially in developed countries, eats too much sugar. What does it entail? What are the he alth effects of excess sugar in the diet?

As Robert Lustig, a scientist at the University of California in San Francisco, pediatrician and endocrinologist, author of publications on the effects of sugar on the body, says, "Sugar is metabolically harmful not becausefor calorific value and making you overweight, but because it is sugar. "

Scientific evidence (including the 2016 Stanhope review), including epidemiological studies, shows that sugar overconsumption:

  • is the direct cause of overweight and obesity
  • causes tooth decay
  • is responsible for the metabolic syndrome (a coupled disease state in which the internal organs are fat and the triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol parameters are above normal)
  • is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease
  • causes insulin resistance (a condition in which cells become less and less sensitive to insulin and the pancreas produces more and more insulin to achieve the same metabolic effect)
  • long-term leads to type II diabetes, which is very often a consequence of insulin resistance
  • is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation
  • is associated with an abnormal lipid profile, excess blood glucose and insulin levels, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, abdominal obesity and hyperuricemia
  • intensifies acne as it increases the secretion of androgens, activity of the sebaceous glands and inflammation
  • may increase the risk of depression

In addition, scientists are more and more boldly postulating that the overconsumption of added sugars is associated with cancer incidence and survival after cancer treatment, Alzheimer's disease, memory problems and general cognitive decline, as well as accelerating cell aging and the appearance of wrinkles on the skin .

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How does sugar affect us?

Source: x-news.pl/20m2 Łukasz

Sugar - sugar consumption norms

The World He alth Organization (WHO) in 2015 issued a report on sugar consumption by adults and children and recommendations indicating safe amounts of sugar in the diet. Currently, it is assumed that the limitation should be free sugars, i.e. those added to food, and those found naturally in fruit juices and honey.

Other simple sugars, such as lactose in milk or glucose and fructose in fruit, are not subject to limitation, as their consumption has not been shown to have a negative effect on he alth.

It is recommended that free sugars do not provide more than 10% of energy in the diet of adults and children. At the same time, experts indicate that further restrictions on the consumption of free sugars to less than 5% of energy in the diet may bringfurther additional he alth benefits.

Strong scientific evidence has shown an association between consuming more than 10% of the energy in the diet of free sugars and overweight, obesity and tooth decay in adults and children.

It should be noted that overweight and obesity are classified as significant risk factors for many civilization diseases, and obesity itself is recognized by the WHO as a chronic disease.

For the average woman with moderate physical activity, the total metabolic rate is 2000 kcal and this is the amount of energy she supplies herself with her diet. 10% of this value is 200 kcal, which corresponds to 50 g of free sugars.

50 g of free sugars can be found in:

  • 10-14 flat teaspoons of table sugar
  • 500 ml (small bottle) of Coca-Cola
  • 550 ml (2 cups) orange juice
  • two 40-gram chocolate wafers
  • 90 g (bar of) milk chocolate

The main sources of free sugars are:

  • candy in any form
  • donuts, buns, cakes etc.
  • carbonated and non-carbonated drinks
  • fruit juices, syrups, fruit concentrates
  • jams, marmalades
  • ketchup (as much as 4 g of free sugars in 1 tablespoon of ketchup!)
  • ready-made sauces
  • instant dishes
  • honey, maple syrup, agave syrup etc.

Free sugars can also be found in cold cuts, sausages, canned food and other meat products as well as sweetened dairy products: fruit yoghurts, kefirs, buttermilk, flavored milk and milk desserts.

The amount of energy in your diet from free sugars varies from country to country. In Hungary or Norway it is 7-8%, while in Great Britain and Spain - 16-17%. Sugar consumption is much higher among children. It ranges from 12% of the energy in the diet in Denmark to 25% in Portugal.

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Sugar in the average diet

Most of the sugar consumed on a daily basis is the so-called hidden sugars - already found in the finished product. In this form, Poles eat much more of it than they add to tea, coffee or baking cakes. Currently, a very interesting trend is visible. Polish homes use less pure sugar, which is associated with lifestyle changes and fashionhe alth. At the same time, however, the consumption of food with added sugar increases.

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Sugar consumption across Europe continues to grow despite our declarations to limit it. As one analyst said, "If all the people of Europe who say they have cut sugar were to tell the truth, half of Brazil [which is a leading sugar producer] would lose their jobs." The average Pole eats 0.93 kg of free table sugar per month, while a few years ago it was 1.5 kg per person.

The most sugar is consumed in the households of farmers and retirees and pensioners, while the lowest consumption is characteristic of people running their own business. In 2022, the average Pole ate 44.5 kg of sugar in total in pure form and added to ready-made food. For comparison, in 2016 it was 42.3 kg, and in 2005 - 40.1 kg.

Much less sugar, 21 kg per year, was eaten by the average Pole in the 1950s, but not in the 1970s, when the average consumption was 39.2 kg. As it is easy to count, currently the annual consumption of sugar in pure form is on average 11.2 kg per person, while in ready-made products - 33.3 kg. In Europe, the Turks and the British are the leaders in sugar consumption. The world record holders are Americans who consume more than 70 kg of sugar per person per year.

Among processed foods, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks are the main sources of added sugar. In the diet of adults, they provide 25% of consumed sugar, and in the diet of children - as much as 40%! We eat 20% with various types of cookies, 11% from alcoholic beverages, 6% from sweetened dairy products, and 5% from ready meals and ready-made sauces, including ketchup.

Worth knowing

Sugar - what instead of sugar?

Sweet taste is desired by us, it is invariably associated with pleasure and relaxation. We don't have to give it up completely. You can indulge in sweets from time to time. However, it is definitely better to choose another natural sweetener instead of sugar, which, in addition to sweetness, will provide valuable ingredients or at least reduce the amount of calories consumed.

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See the gallery of 7 photos

Sugar - application

In addition to the obvious role of a sweetener, sugar has many other functions in food production, giving finished products features without which many consumers cannot imagine a given food.

Often reducing the sugar content in a product is associated with a change in its appearance, texture or aroma, andit is no longer acceptable to buyers. That is why many producers do not take the risk of "healing" the recipe, since their sweetened products are eagerly bought anyway. What does the presence of sugar in the product affect? ​​

  • texture, volume and moisture - sugar allows more airing of the baked goods, which gives them a light texture and greater volume. It binds water, so products with sugar dry more slowly and have the desired moisture
  • color - sugars are responsible for the golden-brown color of the crusts of bread and other baked goods, resulting from Maillard's reactions. Caramelization
    • is also important for the visual and aroma.
  • food preservation - sugar is a natural preservative that prevents the multiplication of microorganisms in jams and other fruit preserves

Sugar - production

Stages of making beet sugar:

1. Cultivation - sugar beets are usually sown at the turn of March and April. 2. Harvesting - usually starts in September. 3. Cutting - the beets are washed and thinly sliced. 4. Extraction and cleaning - sliced ​​beetroot is washed in a stream of hot water to extract sugar syrup from them. Limestone is added to the juice, which binds all impurities such as proteins and other non-sugar substances, which are then removed by filtration. 5. Evaporation and boiling - the water is evaporated to thicken the juice and increase the sucrose concentration in it. The sugar juice is further boiled under vacuum to obtain a thick, crystalline mixture. 6. Centrifugation - Centrifugation allows the separation of white sugar crystals from brown syrup (molasses). 7. Drying and Cooling - The sugar crystals are thoroughly dried. 8. Packing.

80% of the world's sugar production is made of sugar cane, and its main producers are Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan and the United States. 20% of sugar is made from sugar beet, which is a source of sucrose in Europe. Among the European Union countries, the largest sugar producers are Germany, France and Poland. In 2016, a total of 169 million tonnes of sugar were produced in the world.

Stages in the formation of cane sugar:

1. Cultivation - Sugar cane grows in tropical climates for 12-18 months before harvesting. 2. Harvesting - the reed is cut by hand or machine close to the ground, because that is where the most sugar accumulates. 3. Cutting and crushing - the stalks are cut into smaller pieces and crushed to make it easier to extract the sugar juice from them. A by-product of this process is fibrous pulp which is separated from the juice. 4.Purification - Limestone is added to the hot sugar juice, which binds the impurities, then removed by filtration. 5. Evaporation - the juice goes to evaporators, where it is deprived of water until sugar is obtained in the form of crystals. 6. Centrifugation - the crystals are separated from the syrup residue by means of centrifuges. 7. Drying. 8. Packing.

Sources:

1. WHO, Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children, http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/149782/9789241549028_eng.pdf?sequence=1 2. WHO calls on countries to reduce sugars intake among adults and children, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/ 3. EUFIC, Carbohydrates, https://www.eufic.org/en/whats-in-food / article / the-basics-carbohydrates 4. Stanhope K.L., Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy, Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 2016, 53, 1, 52-67 5. Unveristy of California, Sugar Science, Hidden in Plain Sight, http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/hidden-in-plain-sight/.W6uC8GgzbIU 6. Unveristy of California, Sugar Science, Too much can make us sick, http: // sugarscience. ucsf.edu/too-much-can-make-us-sick/.W6uWAGgzbIU 7. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/cutting-sugar-kids-diets-improves-he alth-just-days 8. Kubala J., 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You, https://www.he alth line.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar 9. EUFIC, Sugars from a Food Technology Viewpoint, https://www.eufic.org/pl/whats-in-food/article/sugars-from-a-food- technology-perspective 10. https://www.eufic.org/en/food-production/article/sugar-how-is-it-produced-from-beet-infographic 11. https://www.eufic.org/ en / food-production / article / sugar-how-is-produced-from-cane-infographic 12. Central Statistical Office, Supply to the domestic market and consumption of certain consumer goods per capita in 2022, https://stat.gov. pl / thematic-areas / prices-trade / trade / deliveries-on-the-domestic-market-and-consumption-of-some-consumer-articles-per-1-inhabitant-in-2017-, 9,8.html 13. https : //encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Polska-Spozycie-niektorych-artykulow-konsumpacyjnych; 447017.html 14. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/top-sources-of- added-sugar / 15. https://www.isosugar.org/sugarsector/sugar 16. https://www.diamant.pl/rodzaje-cukru

About the authorAleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. My main interests include building lasting changes in eating habits as wellindividual composition of the diet in accordance with the needs of the body. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I believe that nutritional education is very important, both for children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.

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