Sugar

Introduction
Sugar has been subject to controversy over the years, as far as health is concerned. It has been blamed for a number of health problems, either directly or indirectly. Is sugar really as bad as is commonly believed?

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates or saccharides (= sugars) are chains of molecules with different lengths, according to which they have been classified.
- Monosaccharides, or simple sugars, are single molecules, and make up the basic building blocks of all carbohydrates. Some examples are: glucose, fructose and galactose.
- Disaccharides consist of two monosaccharides, and are as such the simplest polysaccharides. Examples are sucrose, lactose and maltose.
- Polysaccharides are long, often branched chains of 100-3000 monosaccharides. Examples include starch, glycogen, and cellulose.

The monosaccharides in di- and polysaccharides are bound together by glycosidic links. These bonds are broken during digestion, yielding the separate molecules.

Nutrients
There are two types of nutrients, macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients are carbohydrates (or sugars), fats and protein.
Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Sugar
Also referred to as "table sugar" or saccharose, sugar is a disaccharide called sucrose. Sucrose consists of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose. Glucose is the main form of ‘sugar’ energy the body uses, fructose an alternative form. As such, sucrose is also a form of energy.
Every fruit contains a combination of glucose and fructose, and most also contain sucrose.

'Empty calories'
One of the most prominent accusations heard, is that of sugar being 'just empty calories'. This refers to the fact that table sugar has been stripped of anything else than just the basic molecules glucose and fructose. Although table sugar is (almost) devoid of any micronutrients, it is still a macronutrient, a useful source of energy. If daily requirements of micronutrients are met, there is therefore no objection to the use of sucrose in order to meet daily macronutrient requirements.

Types of sugar
Different types of table sugar exist, but we recommend the use of white refined sugar, because most of the impurities (possible sources of toxic substances) have been removed.

Conclusion
Sugar is just a form of energy, and can be used without problem as long as the complete diet meets macro- and micronutrient requirements.

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