Cited by 224Diet, Metabolism, and DiseaseConsumer Attitudes and Food LabelingBiochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques

Functionality of sugars in foods and health

Clemens, Roger A., Jones, Julie M., Kern, Mark, Lee, Soo‐Yeun, Mayhew, Emily J., Slavin, Joanne L., Zivanovic, Svetlana·2016·Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are global health problems that affect more than 1.9 billion adults who are overweight, and of these 600 million are obese. In the United States, these problems affect 60% of the population. Critical to these statistics is the association with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome among other noncommunicable diseases. Many factors, including sugars, have been charged as potential causes. However, obesity and overweight and their attendant health problems continue to increase despite the fact that there is a decline in the consumption of sugars. Sugars vary in their types and structure. From a food science perspective, sugars present an array of attributes that extend beyond taste, flavor, color, and texture to aspects such as structure and shelf-life of foods. From a public health perspective, there is considerable controversy about the effect of sugar relative to satiety, digestion, and noncommunicable diseases. This comprehensive overview from experts in food science, nutrition and health, sensory science, and biochemistry describes the technical and functional roles of sugar in food production, provides a balanced evidence-based assessment of the literature and addresses many prevalent health issues commonly ascribed to sugar by the media, consumer groups, international scientific organizations, and policy makers. The preponderance of the evidence indicates that sugar as such does not contribute to adverse health outcomes when consumed under isocaloric conditions. The evidence generally indicates, as noted by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, that sugar, like any other caloric macronutrient, such as protein and fat, when consumed in excess leads to conditions such as obesity and related comorbidities. More recently, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended limiting dietary sugar to 10% of total energy in an effort to reduced the risk of these noncommunicable diseases.

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Crossref · 10.1111/1541-4337.12194

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Authors
Clemens, R. A., Jones, J. M., Kern, M., Lee, S., Mayhew, E. J., Slavin, J. L., & Zivanovic, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Southern California (US)
  • St. Catherine University (US)
  • San Diego State University (US)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • Mars Petcare Global Applied Science and Technology 315 Cool Springs Boulevard Franklin TN 37067 U.S.A
Corresponding author
Clemens, Roger A.
Venue
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-03-31
Volume
15
Issue
3
Pages
433-470
ISSN
1541-4337 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2312886816
Cited by
224
References
279
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 5
FWCI
15.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
Keywords
sugar, sugar consumption, obesity, overweight, non-communicable diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, Dietary Guidelines for Americans

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