All sugars, including sucrose, are known as saccharides. They are essentially the building blocks of carbohydrates. When linked together, sugars form complex carbs. Plants use carbs as structural components in cells and to store and produce energy. Sucrose is produced naturally in only a few plants, but it's used by humans to add flavor to the content of specific foods.
Features
Sucrose is a type of carb known as a disaccharide, a molecule made out of two sugar units bonded together. The units of sugars are called fructose and glucose. They are isomers of each other, meaning they have different structures, but the same basic chemical formula, which consists of is 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms and 6 oxygen atoms. Because it only contains two units, sucrose is known as a simple sugar. More complex carbs, by contrast, may contain tens, hundreds or thousands of units bonded together.
Function
Sucrose occurs naturally in sugar cane and sugar beets. Originally considered a luxury, sucrose has become so cheap to produce that it is a common and ubiquitous part of the human diet. When added to processed foods, it can be used as a sweetener. Many types of sweeteners are out there, but sucrose's palatability, availability and simplicity of production make it the most popular.
Content
Sucrose content usually depends on the exact nature of the ingredients. For example, 3.5 oz. of dark chocolate, with 45 to 59 percent cacao solids contains 46.25 g of sucrose, but dark chocolate with 60 to 69 percent cacao solids contains only 36.39 g of sucrose. In addition, 3.5 oz. of chocolate chip cookies contains 27 g of sucrose. A similar amount of sugary cereals may contain as much as 35 g, and soft-serve ice cream contains 17 g.
Considerations
Sucrose should not be confused with high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, which is a popular sweetener in soda and other sugar-heavy foods. Both sugars differ slightly in content. The molecular structure of sucrose is split evenly between glucose and fructose, but HFCS instead contains 55 percent fructose, 42 percent glucose and 3 percent higher saccharides. According to a Princeton University research team, the fructose molecules in HFCS are unbound and therefore absorbed faster by the body. HFCS is also cheaper to make and lasts longer.
Significance
Simple sugars provide plenty of energy. They are the first fuel to burn in the cells. Sugar is pure, in a sense, and does not contain any other requisite nutrients such as fiber or vitamins. According to evolutionary biologist Jason Cryan, living organisms have evolved with a taste for sugar because of its capacity to provide instant energy. Living organisms have to compete for resources in nature, so they are naturally drawn to food with energy-rich content. However, excess sugar can also lead to weight gain. U.S. federal dietary guidelines advise a maximum of 40 g in refined sugar for every 2,000 calories consumed.
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