Sucrose, the chemical name for sugar, naturally comes from sugar cane or sugar beet. The discovery of sugar dates back before 500 B.C. in Polynesia where sugar cane became a major crop. Eventually, farming the crop spread quickly to neighboring countries where people exported sugar cane for profit. As sugar reached to other countries, more uses of it became evident and changed the course of food indefinitely.
Sucrose, or sugar, comes from the inner stalk of the sugar cane, or from the sugar beet. Sugar cane is to be grown in tropical or semi tropical climates contrary to sugar beet, which is grown in more temperate climates. The process of extracting the sugar is done by harvesting the crop, then putting it through the mill to be processed into raw sugar. Sugar cane consists of twelve percent sucrose whereas sugar beet consists of sixteen percent sucrose. Both crops contain the same nutritional value.
Knowing that the energy in our food comes from carbohydrates (starches/sugars), and fats/protein, it's obvious that sugar plays a major role in the health of our bodies. The three main types of sugars are sucrose, fructose, and lactose. When these simple sugars are consumed into the body, they are meant to be broken down into glucose, which our bodies use as energy. Since sugar is pure energy, it enters quickly into the bloodstream, almost instantly affecting the body. This sugar will either positively or negatively influence your body. It depends on the source of your sugar. There are bad sugars and good sugars. All bad sugar is simple sugar (sucrose, fructose, lactose), but not all simple sugar is bad. The simple sugars in whole foods such as a vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and whole grains are found naturally. Whole foods are inherent with a fiber that is significant in moderating levels of blood sugar by slowing down the process of sugar absorption. Therefore, the natural sugar in whole foods positively influences your body because they come with an abundance of vitamins, minerals and health benefits.
