148 Principles of Food Science Studies have found that the body needs sugars for proper digestion of fats and proteins. If there are no sugars present, toxins can build up in the blood that will eventually result in kidney damage. A steady supply of glucose is needed for the brain to function. Sugars also increase the release of a brain chemical called serotonin. This chemical has a calming effect and acts as an antidepressant. After eating large amounts of sugar, people will become sleepy. The Nutritional Value of Sugar All sugars produce 4 kilocalories per gram when digested. The body uses this energy to think, move muscles, and maintain body functions. Learning how the body accesses the energy in sugar will help you understand the role of sugar in the diet. You will also be able to recognize sugar’s relationship to several major health concerns. Once simple sugars are absorbed into the blood- stream, they move to the liver. Fructose and galactose are changed into glucose in the liver. This extra step slows their availability to the body’s cells and helps provide the steady supply of glucose the body needs. Glucose that is not needed immediately is changed into glycogen. Glycogen is multibranched chains of glucose. The body stores two-thirds of its glycogen in the muscles and the remaining third in the liver. When the body needs energy, single glucose molecules can be broken off each branch of a glycogen molecule simultaneously. This enables large amounts of glucose to be available very quickly. During intense physical activity, the body can use up to one-fifth of its total glycogen stores in 20 minutes. The body is constantly using and replenishing its glycogen stores. See 8-14. Nejron Photo/Shutterstock.com 8-14 During physical activity, the body’s muscles use stored glycogen as an energy source. STEM Matters Which Count as Added Sugars? As of July 2018, Nutrition Facts labels on food are to list the amount of added sugar per serving. The chart below shows which sugars count as added sugars and which do not according to FDA guidelines. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to no more than 10% of your total calories. The average American consumes 13.5% of their calories from added sugars. Nutrition Facts labels are based on a 2000-calorie diet. The recommended goal for added sugars is less than 10% of total calories. Calculate the added sugars you consume in one day. Use a calorie counter app to determine calories consumed. Add grams of added sugars listed on food labels. At 4 calories per gram, what part (percentage) of your total calories were added sugars? Count as Added Sugar Do Not Count as Added Sugar Agave syrup Brown rice syrup Brown sugar Concentrate fruit juice added to sweeten Corn syrup Dextrose Evaporated cane juice Fructose High-fructose corn syrup Honey Invert sugar Maltose Maple syrup Molasses Sugar Sugar Alcohols • Erythritol • Isomalt • Maltitol • Mannitol • Sorbitol • Xylitol Artificial Sugar Substitutes • Acesulfame potassium • Aspartame • Saccharin • Sucralose Plant-based Sugar Substitutes • Monk fruit extract • Stevia Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.