Sugars - varieties and characteristics
100g - That's the amount of sugar we eat on average every day. In sugar cubes would be the 33 sugar cubes per day. But it is not the ordinary commercial sugar we consume in this quantity. In fact, only a small fraction of our daily sugar yield is due to commercial sugar.
By which additional sugars do we take this daily ration to ourselves and how much sugar is actually healthy?
Commercial sugar (sucrose)
The commercial sugar is made from sugar beet and sugar cane and is the most commonly used table sugar. The double sugar consists of glucose and fructose. During processing, the commercial sugar has to undergo numerous purification stages.
Fructose (fructose)
The simple sugar is present in fruits, vegetables, honey as well as in cereals and has a higher sweetening power than the glucose.
Disadvantage of fructose: Belongs to the carbohydrates and promotes the fat storage in the liver more than the other sugars.
Dextrose (glucose, glucose)
Glucose is a simple sugar that is absorbed through the food (potatoes, pasta, bread). The starch contained in the food is converted into glucose. The glucose has a lower sweetening power than the fructose and as the commercial sugar.
Brown sugar
In contrast to commercial sugar, the brown sugar is not completely purified. Although it contains the same amount of calories, but more minerals and vitamins. The brown sugar is a double sugar and has a malty taste.
Milk sugar (lactose)
Milk sugar is a double sugar that is found mainly in milk and dairy products. Lactose intolerance lacks the enzyme lactase to cleave the double sugar. The result: The milk sugar can not be utilized by the body.
What is the difference between the single and the double sugar?
Simple sugar, also called monosaccharides, consists of only one sugar molecule. It is water-soluble and easily digestible.
Double sugar, also called disaccharide, consists of two sugar molecules. Since it can not be used by the organism, it is split during digestion into two molecules and degraded as simple sugar.
How much sugar is actually healthy?
According to the German Nutrition Society, not more than 10% of our energy should be produced from sugar (including fruit sugar). The World Health Organization specifies this information and specifies for women the value of 50 grams of sugar per day and for men 60 grams of sugar per day.
And what do you think? Are you above or below the recommended daily sugar intake?
