Ingredient · Nutrient
Sugar
Also known as: Zucker, azúcar
A normal food ingredient that is fine in small amounts but harmful in the amounts many people actually eat.
Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate that gives quick energy and sweetness. It's not toxic in the way a chemical additive can be, but regularly eating a lot of it is linked to weight gain, tooth decay, and higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The risk comes from total daily amount and frequency, not from any single serving.
Why it matters
Sugar is table sugar, sucrose, made of glucose and fructose joined together. In food it adds sweetness, texture, and helps preserve some products. In the body, it's broken down into glucose and fructose, which are used for energy or stored as fat if not needed right away. Almost everyone eats some sugar; it only becomes a concern when intake is consistently high over time.
