Editing Sugar (section)

{{Short description|Sweet-tasting, water-soluble carbohydrates}}
{{About|the class of sweet-flavored substances used as food|common table sugar|Sucrose||Sugar (disambiguation)}}
{{Pp-pc|reason=COI, SPA sanitation and other disruptive and POV issues. Feel free to reduce, but I don't see an end, thus the long term protection.|small=yes}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Sucre blanc cassonade complet rapadura.jpg|thumb|Sugars (clockwise from top-left): [[white sugar|white refined]], unrefined, [[brown sugar|brown]], unprocessed cane ]]

<!--Definition-->
'''Sugar''' is the generic name for [[Sweetness|sweet-tasting]], soluble [[carbohydrate]]s, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called [[monosaccharide]]s, include [[glucose]], [[fructose]], and [[galactose]]. Compound sugars, also called [[disaccharide]]s or double sugars, are molecules made of two [[Glycosidic bond|bonded]] monosaccharides; common examples are [[sucrose]] (glucose + fructose), [[lactose]] (glucose + galactose), and [[maltose]] (two molecules of glucose). [[White sugar]] is almost pure sucrose. In the body, compound sugars are [[hydrolysed]] into simple sugars.

Longer chains of monosaccharides (>2) are not regarded as sugars and are called [[oligosaccharide]]s or [[polysaccharide]]s. [[Starch]] is a glucose polymer found in plants, the most abundant source of energy in [[human food]]. Some other chemical substances, such as [[ethylene glycol]], [[glycerol]] and [[sugar alcohol]]s, may have a sweet taste but are not classified as sugar.

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Sugars are found in the tissues of most plants. [[Honey]] and fruits are abundant natural sources of simple sugars. Sucrose is especially concentrated in [[sugarcane]] and [[sugar beet]], making them ideal for efficient commercial [[extract]]ion to make refined sugar. In 2016, the combined world production of those two crops was about two billion [[tonne]]s. Maltose may be produced by [[malt]]ing grain. Lactose is the only sugar that cannot be extracted from plants. It can only be found in milk, including human breast milk, and in some [[dairy product]]s. A cheap source of sugar is [[corn syrup]], industrially produced by converting [[corn starch]] into sugars, such as maltose, fructose and glucose.

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Sucrose is used in prepared foods (e.g., cookies and cakes), is sometimes [[Added sugar|added]] to commercially available [[ultra-processed food]] and beverages, and is sometimes used as a sweetener for foods (e.g., toast and cereal) and beverages (e.g., coffee and tea). Globally on average a person consumes about {{convert|24|kg|abbr=off}} of sugar each year. North and South Americans consume up to {{convert|50|kg|abbr=on}}, and Africans consume under {{convert|20|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |date=2019 |title=OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020–2029 – Sugar |url=http://www.fao.org/3/ca8861en/Sugar.pdf |access-date=15 February 2021 |website= |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417223937/http://www.fao.org/3/ca8861en/Sugar.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

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As [[Added sugar|free sugar]] consumption grew in the latter part of the 20th&nbsp;century, researchers began to examine whether a diet high in free sugar, especially refined sugar, was damaging to [[human health]]. In 2015, the [[World Health Organization]] strongly recommended that adults and children reduce their intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total [[Energy homeostasis|energy intake]] and encouraged a reduction to below 5%.<ref name="WHO 2015p4"/> In general, high sugar consumption damages human health more than it provides nutritional benefit and is associated with a risk of cardiometabolic and other health detriments.<ref name=huang/>