Important information about sugar

Sugar, or sucrose to be precise, is produced in Europe from locally grown sugar beet. The process used involves cleaning the sugar beet which is then cut into slices from which beet juice is extracted during the course of a number of additional process steps. The sugar contained in this concentrated sugar beet juice ultimately crystallises.

The sugar is recrystallised a number of times in order to produce pure, clear sugar crystals that appear white due to the refraction of light. The sucrose content of these crystals is nearly 100%, making sugar a high-purity food that, under appropriate storage conditions, can be stored almost indefinitely. 

  
In other parts of the world, the majority of sugar is refined from sugar cane. The resins of certain trees such as maple, in the form of syrup, is also of used in some areas.

The word sugar, in the singular, is generally used to refer to sucrose, but the term also covers a range of other sugars such as glucose, fructose and lactose.

They all belong to the group of nutrients known as carbohydrates.

What is sucrose made of?

In chemical terms, sucrose (household sugar) is a so-called disaccharide that is made of monosaccharides (simple sugars) such as glucose and fructose.

What nutritional role do sugar and carbohydrates play?

In addition to protein and fats, carbohydrates are the remaining major source of energy for the body.

1 g of carbohydrates, and therefore also 1 g of sugar (sucrose), provides as much energy as 1 g of protein, equivalent to 4 kcal (17 kJ). In comparison, 1 g of fat contains 9 kcal (37 kJ).

In the body, carbohydrates are either broken down into or converted to form glucose. Glucose supplies energy to the brain, our muscles, the kidneys and the red blood cells.

Carbohydrates in food are mainly used to provide energy. Carbohydrates are only converted into body fat when they are consumed in very high quantities (approx 500 g / day or 2,000 kcal) and at the expense of a lot of energy. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is converted into body fat with little loss of energy.

According to D-A-CH dietary recommendations issued by the German (DGE), Austrian (ÖGE) and Swiss (SGE/SVE) nutritional agencies, between 50% and 55% of the body’s daily energy requirements should come from carbohydrates. It is recommended that sugar be consumed in moderation.

Does sugar really make you fat?

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that overweight people eat considerably more fat and fewer carbohydrates that people with a normal bodyweight. People with bodyweights below normal have actually been shown to eat more sugar than other carbohydrates.

Therefore, it is not possible to hold sugar or carbohydrates responsible for obesity. The cause is more often attributable to an imbalance in the intake and consumption of energy that, in the case of excessive intake and/or too little physical exercise, leads to people being overweight.

Is only sugar responsible for caries?

Caries or tooth decay is attributable to a variety of influencing factors.

A key factor associated with the formation of caries is bacteria in the mouth. These microorganisms can be seen as plague. They feed on carbohydrates that are metabolised by the bacteria to form acids which, over time, attack the enamel of teeth. The amount of carbohydrates eaten is irrelevant to the formation of acids, so is whether the carbohydrates are eaten in the form of sugar, starch or some other digestible carbohydrates. What is important, however, is how often carbohydrates are eaten. Frequent eating between meals leads to ideal conditions for caries.

The most effective way of preventing caries is ensuring good oral hygiene. This is the only way of removing or reducing any existing plague, on the one hand, and ensuring that no new plague forms.

Does the consumption of sugar reduce levels of other nutrients?

Sugar is a highly pure product which contains no significant micronutrients (trace elements). Vitamin B1 acts as a necessary catalyst that accelerates the break down of carbohydrates. It has sometimes been assumed that the consumption of high levels of sugar can lead to a Vitamin B1 deficiency. However, as a catalyst, the Vitamin B1 is not actually used up in the process.

Studies investigating nutrition have demonstrated that the consumption of high levels of carbohydrates or sugars does not lead to a deficiency of Vitamin B1 or any other nutritional deficiency. The reason for this is the fact that sugar is not generally consumed independently of other foodstuffs, but as part of a blend of foods. This ensures that the body also receives the necessary amounts of essential nutrients.

An ideal diet is one which contains a varied blend of different foods since no single foodstuff, with the exception of mother’s milk, contains all necessary nutrients in the required amounts.

Does sugar cause diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with a blood sugar level that is too high. Diabetes mellitus type I and II are the main variants of this disorder that may have a number of different causes and take on a number of different forms.

Type I diabetes can be triggered by viral infections or an overreaction by the immune system as a result of which the pancreas reduces or stops the production of insulin. This prevents blood being transported in the blood stream from entering cells in the body and makes an insulin injection necessary.

Type II diabetes, also known as maturity-onset diabetes and the form of the disorder which affects around 90% of sufferers, involves disruption to the secretion and efficacy of the insulin. This leads to blood sugar concentrations after meals that are higher for longer periods of time than usual. This in turn can culminate in damage to important organs. Overweight and adipositas are major causes of type II diabetes. 

Therefore diabetes is not caused by sugar. It is a disorder caused by the body’s inability to regulate the concentration of sugar in the bloodstream.

Diabetics have traditionally been told to avoid the consumption of sugar. New findings, however, suggest that it is possible to provide up to 10% of the body’s total energy requirements in the form of sugar. Nonetheless, this should always be discussed with the patient’s doctor.

What are honey and other forms of sugar made of?

Brown sugar, yellow sugar, raw cane sugar, glucose, fructose and honey are generally seen as “healthier” alternatives to household sugar. But, if you look at what these other products actually contain, then you’ll see that this is not the case.

Honey is made of fructose, glucose, sucrose and complex sugars. Other ingredients include water, minerals and concentrations of certain vitamins which are so low as not to play a significant nutritional role. As such, honey possesses no notable nutritional or physiological benefits over and above those of other forms of sugar.

Brown sugar consists of sucrose that is refined through the addition of raw sugar syrup and caramelised white sugar.

Yellow sugar is made of sucrose from sugar beet that still contains some sugar syrup. This is what accounts for the yellow colour and the characteristic taste of this type of sugar.

Raw cane sugar is a semi-refined form of crystallised sugar made from sugar cane which still contains a high proportion of molasses. Molasses, or treacle, is a sweet, dark, syrup-like liquid containing around 50% sugar that can no longer be crystallised.

Glucose is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) which is produced by all higher plants. High concentrations of glucose are found in fruit and honey. Glucose is mainly produced by breaking down starches, and is either sold as a crystallised retail product or is sold in the form of a syrup to the food processing industry.

Fructose is also a monosaccharide that is mainly found in high concentrations in fruit and honey. Pure fructose is obtained either by breaking down inulin or sucrose. A glucose-fructose syrup is made by isomerising glucose syrup, i.e. converting some of the glucose into fructose. Glucose-fructose syrup is also used in the food processing industry.