Sugar and cardiovascular disease: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Committee on Nutrition of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association.

Definitions There are many, sometimes confusing, terms used in the literature. Simple carbohydrate (sugar) refers to monoand disaccharides; complex carbohydrate refers to polysaccharides such as starch. Common disaccharides are sucrose (glucose fructose), found in sugar cane, sugar beets, honey, and corn syrup; lactose (glucose galactose), found in milk products; and maltose (glucose glucose), from malt. The most common naturally occurring monosaccharide is fructose (found in fruits and vegetables). The term dextrose is used to refer to glucose. Intrinsic or naturally occurring sugar refers to the sugar that is an integral constituent of whole fruit, vegetable, and milk products; extrinsic or added sugar refers to sucrose or other refined sugars in soft drinks and incorporated into food, fruit drinks, and other beverages.