Sugar and Its Impact on Health

Abstract

Consumption of foods containing free or added sugars continue to increase, causing the global prevalence of noncommunicable illnesses to rise year after year. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the issues associated with excessive sugar consumption. The biochemical description of the major monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides in the diet, as well as their metabolism and absorption in the organism, will be used to objectively understand how most of the carbohydrates we eat, regardless of their name, end up being used in the glycolysis pathway to produce energy. Excess sugar consumption will be converted to triglycerides and cholesterol in the body through de novo lipogenesis, increasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as other diseases. The necessity of eating fruits and vegetables with their matrix will also be emphasized, as these are linked to weight loss and obesity prevention. This does not include 100 percent natural juices, because when their matrix is broken, sugars are released and they act as sugary drinks, as well as food made with refined flours or white rice because the starch is quickly decomposed into glucose in our bodies because they are not accompanied by fiber.