Library Home: Sweeteners: Sugar

PubMed Health Glossary

Terms to know
Carbohydrates: A molecule made up of one or more sugars. In the body, carbohydrates can exist independently or be attached to proteins or lipids.
Disaccharides: Any sugar, such as sucrose, maltose and lactose, consisting of two monosaccharides combined together.
Fructose: A sugar that occurs naturally in fruits and honey. Fructose has 4 calories per gram.
Galactose: A type of sugar in milk products and sugar beets. The body also makes galactose.
Glucose (Dextrose): A simple sugar the body manufactures from carbohydrates in the diet. Glucose is the body's main source of energy.
Lactose: A type of sugar found in milk and milk products.
Maltose: Formed from the digestion of starch by amylase; converted to glucose.
Monosaccharides: Simple sugars. Carbohydrates which cannot be decomposed.
Oligosaccharides: A carbohydrate comprised of three to ten monosaccharides.
Polysaccharides (Glycans): A large carbohydrate molecule. It contains many small sugar molecules that are joined chemically. Also called glycan.
Sucrose: A two-part sugar made of glucose and fructose. Known as table sugar or white sugar, it is found naturally in sugar cane and in beets.

agave from the agave plant
allulose
corn syrup
fructose syrups
Made from wheat, rice, tapioca, and cassava
honey
maple syrup from sugar maple
molasses from sugarcane or sugar beets
monk fruit
plant-based syrups such as malt, cane, brown rice, corn, golden, and barley syrups
stevia, also called rebiana
Purified extract made from leaves of the stevia plant
sugar beet
sugarcane