Sucrose

Sucrose is the Latin term for sugar. The human organism takes up sucrose mainly through food sugar. However, it is also an endogenous substance that is produced during enzyme breakdown or acid hydrolysis.

What is sucrose

The human organism absorbs sucrose through the sugar contained in food. Sucrose is optically clockwise and belongs to the non-reducing sugars.

It also occurs during the enzymatic breakdown of polysaccharides or by acid hydrolase in the stomach. Sucrose is one of the most important foods used to make and sweeten foods. Other synonyms are Cane sugar and Beet sugar.

Pharmacological effect

Sucrose, also called Table sugar is a disaccharide made up of two molecules, fructose and glucose. During digestion, sucrose is broken down by disaccharidases in the intestine, causing the two molecules to be absorbed very quickly. Fructose is known as simple sugar and fruit sugar, which is a natural component of fruits and vegetables. The human organism needs a longer time to digest this natural sugar due to the fiber and other phytoproteins contained in fruits and vegetables.

Glucose is colloquially referred to as grape sugar. As a monosaccharide, glucose is a carbohydrate. The white crystals are not as sweet as sucrose and fructose. The human blood contains 0.08 to 0.11 percent glucose. It is an important fuel for the brain. If the blood sugar level increases, hyperglycaemia is present. Glucose is excreted in the urine and in its extreme form can lead to dangerous water loss and thus to circulatory problems. This danger is particularly present in diabetics. The hormone insulin produced by the pancreas counteracts this increase in blood sugar.

Table sugar is an important metabolic product that occurs in all chlorophyll-containing plants and is used to transport carbohydrates in the conductive tissues. This sweet-tasting carbohydrate is found in many foods. It is a component of sugar beet (12 to 20%) and sugar cane (12 to 26%), from which it is preferably obtained. This sugar product is found in lesser proportions in millet and sweet corn (10 to 18%).

Refined products are pure white sugar, while brownish cane sugar still contains syrup residues. It is caramel, a brownish decomposition product of sugar. The difference between these two types of sugar is not relevant for the utilization by the human organism. By hydrolase in the stomach using acids or enzymes, sucrose is split into D-fructose and D-glucose in a 1: 1 ratio. This ratio is known as invert sugar.

Sucrose is one of the most important foods in the food industry and in domestic kitchens; it is used in the form of household sugar or refined products to sweeten food and beverages. This sugar product has a high degree of sweetness (sweetness preference). For this reason, sucrose has been replaced with glucose, maltose and lactose in many infant foods. Infants with a fructose intolerance are particularly at risk from foods with a high sucrose content.

This intolerance is inherited as an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder. The affected people tolerate household sucrose poorly or not at all. This intolerance is due to an enzyme deficiency in the small intestine. The enzyme responsible for breaking down sucrose and maltose is present, but does not work properly because it loses contact with the cell membrane. The sugar products reach the small intestine and from there into the large intestine. At this point, bacteria convert them to water and carbon dioxide, which can lead to stomach cramps, malaise, diarrhea and vomiting.

Medical application & use

The industrialized countries have a particularly high consumption of sugar products. Researchers have now been able to establish a connection between the consumption of sugar and diseases such as dental caries, obesity, heart attacks and arteriosclerosis.

Diabetics are only allowed to consume small amounts of foods containing sucrose. You can use sweeteners and sugar substitutes. As an alternative to replacing the high calorific values ​​caused by sucrose, fillers can be used. These are substances that increase the volume of food without significantly increasing the energy values. They dilute the calorific value of the food and are not used in terms of calories, although they occupy the intestines and stomach.

In higher concentrations, sucrose acts as a preservative as it removes water from foods such as baked goods and fruit products.

Risks & side effects

Since almost all foods contain more or less high levels of sugar, it can quickly lead to excessive sugar consumption, which is associated with numerous diseases such as obesity (overweight), tooth decay, heart problems, hardening of the arteries and diabetes. Tooth decay is the disease most commonly associated with sugar consumption. Plaque forms through breakdown products and saliva, which form an optimal breeding ground for oral bacteria. The sugar breakdown products are converted into organic acids that attack the tooth enamel and the dentin below it. Each renewed supply of sugar increases the concentration of plaque and bacteria that eventually decompose the affected teeth.

Obesity (overweight) is caused by the high concentration of carbohydrates in sugar. With excessive sugar intake, the human organism converts the excess into fat, which is stored in the tissue as reserve material. A large number of foods contain hidden sugars, which means that the sugar content is not immediately apparent. Many consumers do not know, for example, that even soups, spreads, meat and sauces contain sugar, although they tend not to associate these savory foods with it. But soft drinks, energy drinks and supposedly healthy fruit juices also contain sugar. The most famous sweet drink is Coca Cola. One liter contains 106 grams of sugar. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar should not make up more than 10 percent of the daily energy intake, which is often exceeded, however, given the large number of sugary foods.