Question

In roughly 3 pages, reflect upon the reasons WHY the sugar is in existence to begin with, explain your thoughts/feelings about this. Do you foresee any changes in the future? Explain. Take a stance, for or against sugar and/or forms of sugar in our food. 
A fairly solid reason explanation of WHY you feel this way. Make clear your personal feelings/beliefs about the use of sugar. Clarify your position by citing reasons and give examples. Include at least four references.

Answer 1

Sugars broadly refer to Carbohydrates. The intake of food in appropruate amounts is very important as it serves as the primary source of energy for each and every tissue and all different types of cells. Sugars are also an instant source of energy(Glucose/Dextrose). They are also utilised in the synthesis of glucogenic amino acids(E.g.-Alanine, Glycine, etc.), fatty acids, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, etc.

In future the form of intake of not only sugar but all other nutrients is likely to change from typical bread and bun to capsules. Even in the present we use vitamins, minerals and many other supplements to treat deficiency disorders of these. So in the coming decades a single food item containing all the nutrients in appropriate required amounts and proportions is likely to be introduced. Intake of sugars specifically is most likely to change from complex starch and glycogen in the diet to simplest monosaccharides like glucose, fructose, galactose, etc.

Sugar in its natural forms like monosaccharides(glucose, fructose), disaccharides(lactose, maltose) and polysaccharidespolysaccharides(starch, glycogen) are the best forms of intake of sugars. Sugar taken in the form of sweetening agents (mostly used by diabetic patients and health conscious people) is very harmful as it contains chemical sweeteners which taste sweet, imparts least or no calories and renders no significant amount of energy to the body. Many of the chemical sweeteners are unstable at cooking temperatures, some are many times sweeter than sucrose so control of sweetness in the food is absent and some cannot be metabolised by the body so they either accumulate in the body or are excreted in the urine intact. Natural forms of sugar supply energy to the body, are metabolised easily for a wide range of metabolic reactions and are free of any chemicals.

Intake of sugars in daily diet in proper proportion is very important as the brain cells use glucose abundantly to drive their metabolic processes. Neurons can utilise only ketone bodies excepting glucose to meet their energy requirements. But ketones being acidic, their concentration is closely maintained in a narrow range to maintain homeostasis. So the ketone bodies do not contribute greatly to meet energy needs of brain.

Sugars/carbohydrates which after digestion are extra or not needed are stored by the body as glycogen and later as fats to meet body's requirements under conditions of food stress or starvation.

Carbohydrates are also used to synthesize gangliosides which have a wide range of functions like immunology, signal transduction, etc.

The body must be supplied with different kinds of sugar according to its requirements to suffice the synthesis of DNA and RNA during cell division.