The No-sugar Challenge Sugar has never been considered a nutritious food, yet it has nevertheless become a major component of our diet. Whether sugar is merely a source of "empty calories" or something more harmful has long been a subject of debate among dietitians. When you hear the word "sugar," you probably imagine white table sugar, also known as sucrose. There are actually a number of different types of sugar. Sugars are either single sugar molecules (monosaccharides) or two sugar molecules linked together (disaccharides), according to their chemical structure. These sugars are added to a variety of processed foods and sweets, such as cakes, cookies, candy, etc. There are also naturally occurring sugars in fruit and fruit juice. Sugar has been linked to a variety of illnesses and health problems - especially when consumed in excessive quantities - due to its ability to rapidly boost blood sugar and insulin levels. That’s why it’s important to get your sugar intake under control. Finest grades - Powdered sugar, confectioner's sugar (0.060 mm), or icing sugar (0.024 mm), are produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder. A small amount of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping may be added, this is either cornstarch (1%-3%) or tri-calcium phosphate. There are also sugar cubes for convenient consumption of a normal amount. Brown sugars are obtained in the late stages of sugar refining, when sugar forms fine crystals with significant molasses content, or by coating white refined sugar with a cane molasses syrup. Their color and taste become stronger with increasing molasses content, as does their moisture retaining properties. They are also prone to hardening if exposed to the atmosphere although this is reversible. Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose (left) and fructose, important molecules in the body. In biochemistry, a sugar is the simplest molecule that can be identified as a carbohydrate.