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If you pay attention to the composition or nutritional value of a packaged food, you may find sucrose, glucose, or fructose in it. In fact, these three substances are included in the type of sugar, or simple carbohydrates. Even though both are sugar, what is the difference between the three? Which is better for health?

There are many types of sugar, what are they?

Sugar is the simplest structure of carbohydrates. Yes, as you know, the sources of carbohydrates are rice, noodles, bread, potatoes, fruits, and so on.

If you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, the body will first break them down into the smallest parts, namely sugar. Then the new body can absorb and process it further.

Well, glucose and fructose are the simplest types of sugar compared to sucrose. Glucose and fructose both belong to a class of sugars called monosaccharides. It is the smallest type of sugar and cannot be broken down again.

In contrast to sucrose, sucrose is a type of disaccharide. That means sucrose is made from a combination of two monosaccharides. The two monosaccharides that make up sucrose are glucose and fructose which are fused together. You could say sucrose is a combination of fructose and glucose.

If you often read or hear information about the word simple sugar, well, what is included in simple sugars are monosaccharides and this disaccharide.

Can all these sugars produce energy?

Sugar is well known for its function as the main energy producer in the body. However, can all sugar produce energy? Apparently not.

Although glucose and fructose are both similar, namely the monosaccharide group, they are still different. The most important sugar in the body is glucose.

This is because the body can only absorb glucose and make it energy for the muscles and brain. The body cannot use fructose as energy because the metabolic pathways of these two sugars in the body will be different.

Sucrose also cannot produce energy. Sucrose must first be broken down in the body into its simplest form, namely glucose and fructose. Then only then can the glucose part be processed again to produce energy.

All three have different metabolic pathways in the body

Glucose

Glucose can be distributed in the blood and then stored in muscle cells and liver cells. When you get glucose from food, it is absorbed through the small intestine, and then distributed to the blood.

Sugar that is in the blood is called blood sugar. The presence of this blood sugar will then stimulate the insulin hormone. The hormone insulin will be released into the blood by an organ called the pancreas to deliver blood sugar into muscle cells and liver cells for storage.

Fructose

Fructose will not flow into the blood, thus making blood sugar levels stable. Instead of entering the blood, fructose will enter the liver and be processed in these organs.

Fructose is also lipogenic, so it can stimulate the production of fat cells. The presence of fructose also does not stimulate the production of the hormone leptin, which regulates energy intake and expenditure.

So, then, if people have excess fructose it is feared that the accumulation of fat will occur faster than if there is excess glucose. Excess fructose has the same effect as people who have an excess of fatty foods.

Sucrose

Then what about sucrose metabolism? Well, because this sugar is not yet in its simplest form, sucrose will be broken down first by the help of an enzyme called beta-fructosidase.

After being broken down into glucose and fructose, then this fructose and glucose will enter their respective metabolic pathways.

Where do these three types of sugar come from?

In a food can actually contain glucose, fructose and disaccharides. For example, in fruits and vegetables there are various types of sugar.

Fructose is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. In contrast to glucose, which can be found in other sources such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains and their preparations such as bread, rice, pasta. noodles, flour. Glucose can also be found in sweet potatoes, cassava, potatoes, rice noodles.

Fructose is also often used as a sweetening component in drinks such as soda and sugary drinks.

The most common source of sucrose is table sugar. Table sugar contains sucrose with comparable fructose and glucose composition. Sucrose is also found in corn syrup, usually with a concentration of 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Corn syrup is often added to soft drinks, pastries, and many processed foods.

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