{"id":63,"date":"2016-07-26T10:46:16","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T08:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/s272970414.online.de\/wordpress\/intelligent-sugar\/?page_id=63"},"modified":"2026-02-16T10:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:51:25","slug":"zucker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nuprevento.com\/en\/zucker\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar: a nutrient group with many faces"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sugar: a nutrient group with many faces<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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When most people hear the word sugar, the first thing they think of is the crystalline powder or white cubes in the sugar bowl at home. But this household sugar is just one of many other forms in which \"sugar\" occurs in nature and in our food.<\/p>

Depending on the context in which the word is used, it can mean Different types of sugar with different properties<\/strong> hide. \"Sugar\" in recipes or in the list of ingredients on food packaging usually refers to normal granulated or household sugar (sucrose). Is from \"Blood sugar<\/strong>\" is first and foremost Glucose<\/strong> (dextrose) is meant.<\/p>

Even statements such as \"sugar is bad for your health\" essentially only refer to certain types of sugar. It would be wrong to lump all forms of sugar into this category, as there are also a number of \"intelligent sugars\".<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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A short chemistry lesson<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sugars belong to the group of carbohydrates, which are often colloquially referred to as \"sugar compounds\". In fact, they include both the simplest small sugar molecules (simple sugars or monosaccharides) and larger sugar compounds composed of them, such as disaccharides, oligosaccharides or highly complex polysaccharides. However, the term \"sugar\" is generally only used for monosaccharides and disaccharides.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Overview: The most important carbohydrates<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSimple sugars (monosaccharides)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSimple basic building blocks of carbohydrates\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlucose (dextrose)
\nFructose (fruit sugar)
\nGalactose (mucilage sugar)
\nTagatose
\nRibose\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisaccharides (disaccharides)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcomposed of 2 sugar building blocks\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSucrose (cane or household sugar) (glucose + fructose)
\nLactose (milk sugar) (glucose + galactose)
\nMaltose (malt sugar) (glucose + glucose)
\nIsomaltulose (glucose + fructose)
\nTrehalose (glucose + glucose)\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMultiple sugars (oligosaccharides)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcomposed of 3-9 sugar building blocks\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRaffinose (triple sugar in molasses)
(galactose + glucose + fructose)\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMultiple sugars (polysaccharides)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcomposed of 10 to several thousand sugar building blocks\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStarch (glucose store of plants)
\nGlycogen (human glucose store)
\nDietary fibers such as cellulose, pectin, quinine\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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How are sugars utilized in the intestine?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The body can only absorb simple sugars in the intestine. All other sugar compounds, whether simple sugars or complex carbohydrates, must first be absorbed with the help of Enzymes<\/strong> be broken down into their components<\/strong>. This starts partly in the mouth. Saliva contains the starch-splitting enzyme amylase, which splits the long glucose chains of starch into shorter fragments during chewing. You will notice this, for example, if you chew bread thoroughly for a few minutes. You will quickly notice how sweet it suddenly tastes.<\/p>

However, the main part of carbohydrate digestion takes place in the small intestine. Here there are a number of special enzymes with different tasks. Some, such as pancreatic amylase, break down complex sugar chains such as starch into smaller fragments. Others, such as alpha-glucosidase, break these fragments down further into their simple sugar building blocks. Consequently, after digestion, nothing remains of the starch from bread, pasta, rice and potatoes other than individual glucose building blocks that pass into the blood<\/strong>. Some disaccharides even have their own Digestive enzymes<\/strong> such as maltase for malt sugar, lactase for lactose or trehalase for trehalose.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The subtle difference<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whether carbohydrates or sugars can be digested at all and how quickly this takes place depends in part on a tiny detail: the way in which the individual sugar building blocks are linked. Many digestive enzymes can only break down a certain type of bond or have a higher affinity for one type of bond than another. Dietary fibers such as cellulose or pectin, for example, are basically nothing more than carbohydrates that our intestines lack the enzymes to digest.<\/strong>
For some sugars, the type of binding is decisive, how quickly these are digested<\/strong> and like<\/strong> they therefore refer to the body<\/strong>. The two disaccharides sucrose and isomaltulose, for example, both consist of glucose and fructose and are digested by the same enzyme. Only the Different linking<\/strong> between the two sugar building blocks ensures that Isomaltulose<\/strong> clear Digests more slowly<\/strong> the released Glucose<\/strong> only bit by bit<\/strong> in the Blood circulation<\/strong> and the Blood sugar levels remain more stable as a result<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What does our body need sugar for?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sugar<\/strong> have in the body Important functions<\/strong>. They are an important Energy source<\/strong> and essential Building blocks<\/strong> for various cell components. Just how important sugar is for the body is demonstrated by the fact that the body can produce this important fuel and building material itself and does not rely solely on dietary intake.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fuel for brain and muscles<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sugar<\/strong> is a fast Energy supplier<\/strong> for the cells, especially for the Brain and muscle cells<\/strong>. The body mainly uses glucose for this, but can also utilize other sugars such as fructose or galactose to produce energy.
Glucose is broken down into pyruvate via a special metabolic process called glycolysis. This is then used in the power plants of the cells, the Mitochondria<\/strong>, to the Extraction of ATP<\/strong> is further metabolized. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) ultimately represents the actual energy source. Fuel<\/strong> for numerous Metabolic reactions<\/strong> such as substance transport, synthesis reactions, detoxification processes, regeneration programs, and so on.<\/p>

ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions, for example. This enables us not only to perform at our best in sport, but also to beat our heart or perform the complicated facial muscle movements when we speak or smile. In order to cover the enormous demand for sugar and allow us to sprint straight away in an emergency, the Skeletal muscles<\/strong> about own sugar stores in the form of glycogen<\/strong>.<\/p>

ATP also operates special pumps in the cell membranes, which permanently ensure a balance of positively and negatively charged ions inside and outside the cell. This is crucial for the \"flow of electricity\" in the nerve cells, for example, without which the brain would be as useful as a computer without electricity. Since the control center in the head resembles a high-performance computer, it is hardly surprising, that the brain constantly draws sugar from the blood to generate energy<\/strong>. This way consumed<\/strong> it about 150 g glucose<\/strong> (about 50 sugar cubes) a day, which is about 75% of the total sugar consumption at rest corresponds to<\/strong>. To cover the high demand of the brain alone, the Blood sugar level<\/strong> in a healthy body permanently kept constant<\/strong> and continuously from the Sugar storage<\/strong> (glycogen) in the Liver<\/strong>by newly formed glucose from Amino acids (protein building blocks)<\/strong> or with Sugar<\/strong> from the Food<\/strong> refilled.<\/p>

But why do cells prefer to use sugar as an energy source when fats, with their higher calorie content, would be a more effective fuel?<\/strong> The answer is quite simple: producing energy from sugars means significantly less effort for cells. Especially the prefer the brain and muscles as major energy consumers<\/strong> the fast energy suppliers<\/strong> and only take effect with Sugar shortage<\/strong> to the Fat burning<\/strong> back.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Building block for the cells<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Some sugars are essential components of Cell structures<\/strong>. Probably the most important place in this context is occupied by Ribose<\/strong> in it. This forms the backbone for the DNA strand on which our genetic material is stored. At the same time, it is an integral part of energy carriers (ATP, GTP) and co-factors (NADH, NADPH), which are responsible for are required for almost every metabolic pathway<\/strong>.<\/p>

However, other sugars are also important for cell structure. Together with proteins, galactose forms so-called glycoproteins, which, for example, enable the exchange of information between cells or the reception of hormone signals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Further topics<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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