It is, admittedly, good to avoid foods with excessive sugars (or starches, aka complex carbs, for that matter) in their nutrition facts labels. It's also good to make sure good protein and fiber accompany sugars. Yet, breakdowns of which forms of sugar are present with how many grams apiece and particularly whether they are from good or bad sources aren't really present in nutrition facts - types of sugars simply tend to be in the ingredients lists more than anything. We will touch a bit here on a few types of these sugars, in particular monosaccharides or simple sugars(1).
Sucrose, table sugar, is a disaccharide ("two" sugars) which breaks down into fructose and glucose in the body. White sugar is basically pure carbs and stripped of molasses and therefore essential minerals in the refining process. Common sources of sucrose are sugar cane and beets(1) [the latter tends to be GMO].
Glucose is, of course, the blood sugar - most ingested sugars convert to it and then disperse in the bloodstream(1). Most tissues including brain, red blood cells, and muscles depend on it for energy. Excess stores as glycogen in the muscles or liver(2) [for later use] or converts into fat tissue(2).
Fructose, or fruit sugar, can be found naturally in many foods including honey and is the sweetest sugar(1,2). Fructokinase, the enzyme used to processed it, is primarily in the liver and therefore fructose is less efficient as an energy source(2) as well as lower glycemic and, in normal doses, actually helps control blood sugar(3). High fructose corn syrup is way different though - a highly concentrated, processed form inducing fatty liver, obesity, and cellular (mitochondrial) damage. Significant portions of the commercial HFCS supply contain mercury to boot(4) [besides being GMO].
Lactose is composed of glucose and... galactose(1,2). Galactose is less sweet than glucose, features in the antigens on the surface of red blood cells determining blood type(1), and requires a number of steps to process in the liver following separation from glucose in order itself to form a form of glucose molecule(2).
Sources:
1. "Sugar." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Apr. 2019. Web 29 April 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Monosaccharides.
2. Battaglia, Gina. "Three Common Simple Sugars." SFGate, Hearst Newspapers, LLC., 6 December 2018, https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/three-common-simple-sugars-10889.html.
3. "Battling Myths and Misconceptions Circulated on the Internet." Isagenix Health, Isagenix Worldwide, Inc., 22 May 2014, https://www.isagenixhealth.net/battling-myths-and-misconceptions-circulated-on-the-internet/.
4. Young, Carol. "Top 10 Reasons To Avoid Toxic High-Fructose Corn Syrup." Top 10 Grocery Secrets, Top 10 Grocery Secrets, 14 August 2015, https://www.top10grocerysecrets.com/2015-07-20-top-10-reasons-avoid-toxic-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html.
Sucrose, table sugar, is a disaccharide ("two" sugars) which breaks down into fructose and glucose in the body. White sugar is basically pure carbs and stripped of molasses and therefore essential minerals in the refining process. Common sources of sucrose are sugar cane and beets(1) [the latter tends to be GMO].
Glucose is, of course, the blood sugar - most ingested sugars convert to it and then disperse in the bloodstream(1). Most tissues including brain, red blood cells, and muscles depend on it for energy. Excess stores as glycogen in the muscles or liver(2) [for later use] or converts into fat tissue(2).
Fructose, or fruit sugar, can be found naturally in many foods including honey and is the sweetest sugar(1,2). Fructokinase, the enzyme used to processed it, is primarily in the liver and therefore fructose is less efficient as an energy source(2) as well as lower glycemic and, in normal doses, actually helps control blood sugar(3). High fructose corn syrup is way different though - a highly concentrated, processed form inducing fatty liver, obesity, and cellular (mitochondrial) damage. Significant portions of the commercial HFCS supply contain mercury to boot(4) [besides being GMO].
Lactose is composed of glucose and... galactose(1,2). Galactose is less sweet than glucose, features in the antigens on the surface of red blood cells determining blood type(1), and requires a number of steps to process in the liver following separation from glucose in order itself to form a form of glucose molecule(2).
Sources:
1. "Sugar." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Apr. 2019. Web 29 April 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Monosaccharides.
2. Battaglia, Gina. "Three Common Simple Sugars." SFGate, Hearst Newspapers, LLC., 6 December 2018, https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/three-common-simple-sugars-10889.html.
3. "Battling Myths and Misconceptions Circulated on the Internet." Isagenix Health, Isagenix Worldwide, Inc., 22 May 2014, https://www.isagenixhealth.net/battling-myths-and-misconceptions-circulated-on-the-internet/.
4. Young, Carol. "Top 10 Reasons To Avoid Toxic High-Fructose Corn Syrup." Top 10 Grocery Secrets, Top 10 Grocery Secrets, 14 August 2015, https://www.top10grocerysecrets.com/2015-07-20-top-10-reasons-avoid-toxic-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html.
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