compound
Sucrose
Sucrose is a disaccharide made from glucose and fructose.
It occurs naturally in some plants and is also used as an added sugar; digestion separates its two component sugars.
Two monosaccharides joined
Sucrose contains one glucose unit and one fructose unit. Digestive enzymes hydrolyse the bond, so its components enter metabolism separately. A sucrose value in a food table is not the same as a glucose value.
Related topics
Worth knowing
A sugar within total carbohydrate. Sucrose is one kind of sugar; total carbohydrate also includes starch, fibre and other carbohydrate forms depending on the measurement definition.
Added and naturally occurring sucrose share chemistry. The molecule is the same whether it is present in a plant food or added during preparation; the surrounding food matrix differs.
A closer look
Current sugar evidence
EFSA’s 2022 review found that a tolerable upper level or safe level could not be set for total or added sugars across the observed intakes. The evidence varies by outcome and by food source.
Dental caries is a distinct outcome
EFSA describes dietary sugars as a well-established hazard for dental caries, while the evidence for other outcomes varies by comparison and source.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.