Sugar in nutrition
The
term "sugar" refers to the sucrose (C12H22011)
which is a natural white crystalline product and contained in many plants. Plants make sugars through photosynthesis. Sugar is simply extracted from plants. However, it is extracted, industrially, throughout the world out of two cultivated plants: the sugarcane which is grown in the tropical and subtropical zone and the sugarbeet which is grown in the temperate zone. The sucrose is composed of two molecules, one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose. Its sweetening power is set conventionally on a par with the unit.
There are artificial sweetening materials which have
a sweetening capacity mutliple of sugar (aspartame, saccharine e.t.c.) without
having the qualities of sugar, namely:
- Sweet and soft taste
- To reinforce and display the savour of the foods
- To safeguard from the onset of microorganisms
e.g. in marmelades, sweet e.t.c.
- To facilitate the ingestion of vitamins.
- To supply energy.
It is the cheapest food per calory. Oils and fats
have greater calorific power (9 Kcal/g), whereas sugars has
only 4 kcal/g. So a teaspoon full of sugar with a capacity of 4 g has only 16
kcal.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that sugar consumption per se does not cause obesity. Obesity is caused by an imbalance between calories used by the body and calories consumed from all types of food and drink.
Sugar and Health
Sugar is a natural aliment, essential in everyday nourishment, especially when someone needs, extra energy and vivification of body and mind.
Sugar contains glucose the basic nourishing food for human brain and muscles.
Consumption of sugar raises levels of glucose in blood circulation essential in most cases except diabetes.
Humans need sugar in the morning, which gives energy instantly, necessary when feeling tired, out of focus, in stress, or before exercises.
Sugar is not noxious.
Sugar does not bring about diabetes, or heart diseases. Sugar consumption is not accountable for Overweight. People gain in weight appears when calories consumed are less than those gained. This applies in every food humans consume. A teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories. There are not good or bad foodstuffs, but there are good and bad feeding habits.
