Sucrose is a simple sugar occurring naturally in all fruits and in vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains. The perception of sweetness on the tongue is one measure of how much sucrose each of these foods contains. Ordinary table sugar or `white sugar,` refined from sugar cane or sugar beets, is pure or nearly pure sucrose in crystallized form.

Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of linked molecules of glucose and fructose. As a simple sugar, sucrose is rapidly absorbed and metabolized, making it a quick but short-lasting source of energy. Consuming sucrose can cause blood-sugar levels to spike. There are many health concerns related to excess sucrose intake, including tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.

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