Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Mar 15, 2025 · sugar, any of numerous sweet, colourless, water-soluble compounds present in the sap of seed plants and the milk of mammals and making up the simplest group of carbohydrates. The most common sugar is sucrose, a crystalline tabletop and industrial sweetener used in foods and beverages.

Sugar substitutes taste sweet but don’t contain sugar. They have fewer calories than sugar, and some have no calories at all. Foods labeled “sugar-free,” “keto,” “low carb” or “diet” often contain sugar substitutes, which fall into three categories: artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols and …

Dec 17, 2024 · Sugar – particularly added sugar – is in nearly all of our food. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, it’s important to know the benefits and consequences of all three kinds of sugar, and how we can adjust our relationship to them.

Apr 9, 2025 · As sugar is digested, the blood glucose level increases. To regulate it, the pancreas pumps out insulin, which lowers glucose in the blood. The more sugar consumed, the harder the pancreas has to work. Over time, this stresses the organ. When the pancreas can't produce enough insulin to manage blood sugar, or the body becomes resistant to ...

: a sweet substance that is made up wholly or mostly of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure, is obtained from plants (as sugarcane or sugar beets), is a source of dietary carbohydrate, and is used as a sweetener and preservative of other foods

Sep 23, 2024 · There are two types of sugars in foods: naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose).

Sucrose is simply the chemical name for sugar, the simple carbohydrate we know and love that is produced naturally in all plants, including fruits, vegetables and even nuts. All green plants make sugar through photosynthesis, the process plants use to transform the sun’s energy into food.

Sep 27, 2021 · This Harvard Medical School Guide will help you gain a deeper understanding of the different formsof sugar, what foods contain significant amounts of added sugar, how sugaris metabolized by the body, and the health risks it poses when consumed to excess.

4. Sugar Substitutes. Research has shown that sugar substitutes (also called non-nutritive sweeteners) have little impact on blood glucose levels, making them a way to sweeten foods and beverages without a spike in your blood glucose level. They are generally sweeter than sugar but have a very small amount of calories and carbohydrates.