Sugar is an essential molecule for living organisms. Glucose, a type of sugar, provides energy through cellular respiration and is vital for regulating body functions. In cooking, the Maillard reaction causes sugars and amino acids to react, producing browning and complex flavors. However, excessive added sugar intake has been linked to health issues like diabetes. Moderation is key, as sugar plays important roles but also poses risks if consumed in large amounts.

1. Running Head: A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE CHEMISTRY GO DOWN
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Chemistry Go Down
Aurora Morrison
Stratford University
Science 110
July 2016

2. A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE CHEMISTRY GO DOWN 2
Abstract
Sugar is a very important molecule in the body. Sugar in the form of glucose is the most
important sugar to living organisms. The glucose helps regulate body functions and helps sends
important messages from the brain to various parts of the body. In cooking, sugar is extremely
important in the maillard reactions which involve sugar reacting with amino acids that create
browning and complex flavors.

3. A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE CHEMISTRY GO DOWN 3
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Chemistry Go Down
Sugar has a very negative connotation associated with it. According to Merriam-Webster,
sugar is defined as “a sweet material that consists essentially of sucrose obtained from sugar
cane, is typically colorless or white when pure and is commonly used to sweeten foods or
beverages”. In many diets, people generally avoid carbohydrates which include a broad range of
sugars, starches, and fiber (“Background on Carbohydrates and Sugars” n.d.). Sugar in the form
of glucose is vital for living organisms. In plants, they use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and
water to glucose and oxygen. This glucose provides energy for the plant and humans use oxygen
to perform their metabolic processes.
Sugar is an essential molecule every living organism needs. Living organisms are made
up of cells which contain several different organelles. Arguably, the most important organelle of
the cell is the mitochondria. Mitochondria create adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is energy
that your body needs to function (Green 2012). All the cells, tissues, and organs that make up
the human body require some sort of energy to regulate body systems and to give and receive
important messages throughout the body through the cell membrane of each cell to tell the body
what to do. Glucose is the quintessential form of sugar that our body needs. This monosaccharide
is composed of six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms
(C6H12O6)(Green 2012). During the process of metabolism, glucose plus oxygen yields carbon
dioxide and water. When oxygen and glucose through cellular respiration, it can yield about
thirty-eight molecules of ATP under ideal conditions. Without sugar in the form of glucose, this
energy would not have been created and would make it impossible for your body to function.
Sugar plays a major role in baking by adding sweetness and flavor. However, sugar also
can create tenderness partially by weakening the gluten structure. It also gives crusts color and

4. A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE CHEMISTRY GO DOWN 4
increases keeping qualities by retaining moisture. Sugar also acts as a creaming agents with fats
and foaming agents with eggs (Gisslen 2012. In addition, sugar provides food for yeast. Sugars
are mainly divided into two groups: simple sugars (monosaccharides) and complex sugars
(disaccharides). Starches, also known as polysaccharides have more complex chemical structures
than regular sugars. All sugars are hygroscopic, meaning they attract and hold water. For baked
goods this characteristic is extremely good allowing baked goods to stay moist longer (Gisslen
2012). However, for other purposes such as spun sugar, it cannot be held for very long because it
attracts the moisture from the air.
In both savory and sweet cooking, the Maillard reaction is responsible for browning
meats and creating complex flavors and aromas. Essentially, the Maillard reaction occurs when
amino acids react with sugars (Gisslen 2012). Like the process of caramelzation when sugars
react with other sugars to create a brown color on food, maillard reactions react with amino acids
and sugar to intensify several flavors. In baking, baking soda helps speed up the Maillard
reaction which allow baked goods such as quick breads to bake faster (Gisslen 2012). The
Maillard reaction is composed of incredibly complex reactions that involve several different
chemical reactions within the foods themselves.
However, sugar is not always good for you. Copious amounts of sugar like the typical
American consumes today can lead to diabetes and other health problems. The American Heart
Association recommends for women no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars is the
ideal amount and for males no more than 150 calories per day (“Frequently Asked Questions
About Sugar” 2014). People crave sugar because it releases dopamine in the brain and the brain
then remembers the “good feeling” of eating sugar and so the brain “rewards” the happy feeling

5. A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE CHEMISTRY GO DOWN 5
of sugar. In conclusion, sugar is necessary for the body to function, but the excessive amounts of
added sugar are what leads to many health problems which give sugar its negative connotations.

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References
“Background on Carbohydrates & Sugars”. (n.d.). Food Insight. International Food Information
Council. Retrieved on July 8, 2016 from
https://www.foodinsight.org/Background_on_Carbohydrates_Sugars.
“Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar”. (2014, May 19). Healthy Living. American Heart
Association. Retrieved on July 8, 2016 from
https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/DietGoals/Frequently-
Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp#.V4NztZD3aK0
Green, H. [CrashCourse]. (2012, March 12). ATP & Respiration: Crash Course Biology #7.
[Video File]. Retrieved on July 9, 2016 from https://youtu.be/00jbG_cfGuQ.
Green, H. [CrashCourse]. (2012, March 19). Photosynthesis: Crash Course Biology #8. [Video
File]. Retrieved on July 9, 2016 from https://youtu.be/sQK3Yr4Sc_k.
Gisslen, W. (2012). Professional Baking (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.