nih-gov/medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm
2025-02-26 13:17:41 -05:00

280 lines
No EOL
32 KiB
HTML
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains invisible Unicode characters

This file contains invisible Unicode characters that are indistinguishable to humans but may be processed differently by a computer. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" id="article" class="nojs us" data-root="//medlineplus.gov" itemid="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm" itemtype="http://schema.org/MedicalWebPage" itemscope="">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"/>
<meta http-equiv="window-target" content="_top"/>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
<meta property="fb:app_id" content="1042245625821448"/>
<meta name="expires" content="Wed, 05 02 2025"/>
<meta name="ac-dictionary" content="medlineplus-ac-dictionary"/>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"/>
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="//medlineplus.gov/images/touch-icon.png"/>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/common_new.css?04272023"/>
<!--[if IE 8]> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/ie8/common.css"><![endif]-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/css/uswds_styles.css"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/ency/ency2.css?07162024"/>
<script type="text/javascript">document.querySelector("html").className = document.querySelector("html").className.replace(/nojs[\s]*/g, '');</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds-init.min.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&amp;l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MMVM77');</script>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm" itemprop="url"/>
<link rel="alternative" hreflang="es" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002444.htm"/>
<link rel="alternative" hreflang="en" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm"/><meta property="og:title" content="Sweeteners - sugars: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm"/><meta property="twitter:title" content="Sweeteners - sugars: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"/><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/><meta name="description" content="The term sugar is used to describe a wide range of compounds that vary in sweetness. Common sugars include:"/><meta itemprop="description" name="description" content="The term sugar is used to describe a wide range of compounds that vary in sweetness. Common sugars include:"/><meta property="og:description" content="The term sugar is used to describe a wide range of compounds that vary in sweetness. Common sugars include:"/><meta property="twitter:description" content="The term sugar is used to describe a wide range of compounds that vary in sweetness. Common sugars include:"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_1.jpg"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_2.jpg"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_3.jpg"/><meta property="twitter:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_1.jpg"/>
<title>Sweeteners - sugars: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia</title>
</head>
<body><link href="http://schema.org/Patient" itemprop="audience"/>
<!-- Google Tag Manager -->
<noscript><iframe title="googletagmanager" src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MMVM77" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden">
</iframe>
</noscript>
<!-- End Google Tag Manager -->
<a name="top" id="top">
</a>
<a class="hide-offscreen" href="#start">Skip navigation</a>
<section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official website of the United States government">
<div class="usa-accordion">
<header class="usa-banner__header">
<div class="usa-banner__inner">
<div class="grid-col-auto">
<img aria-hidden="true" class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/us_flag_small.png" alt=""/>
</div>
<div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto" aria-hidden="true">
<p class="usa-banner__header-text">
An official website of the United States government
</p>
<p class="usa-banner__header-action">Heres how you know</p>
</div>
<button type="button" class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner-default-default">
<span class="usa-banner__button-text">Heres how you know</span>
</button>
</div>
</header>
<div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content" id="gov-banner-default-default">
<div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg">
<div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6">
<img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/>
<div class="usa-media-block__body">
<p>
<strong>Official websites use .gov</strong><br/>A
<strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6">
<img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-https.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/>
<div class="usa-media-block__body">
<p>
<strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong><br/>A
<strong>lock</strong> (
<span class="icon-lock"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewBox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-description-default" focusable="false">
<title id="banner-lock-title-default">Lock</title>
<desc id="banner-lock-description-default">Locked padlock icon</desc>
<path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z">
</path>
</svg> </span>) or <strong>https://</strong> means youve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<div id="mplus-wrap">
<header>
<div id="mplus-header">
<!-- Orgs
================================================== -->
<div id="mplus-orgs">
<a title="National Institutes of Health" target="_blank" class="nih-org" href="//www.nih.gov/">
<img alt="National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nihlogo.png" class="nihlogo"/>
</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/"> National Library of Medicine </a>
</div>
<!-- Logo
================================================== -->
<div id="mplus-logo" class="years-25">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov">
<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/m_logo_25.png" title="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" alt="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You"/>
</a>
</div>
<!-- Nav Menu
================================================== -->
<div id="mplus-nav">
<div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">The navigation menu has been collapsed.</div>
<!-- Menu Button-->
<button type="submit" aria-controls="mplus-menu-list" role="button" title="Menu" class="navmenu-btn" id="sm-menu-btn" aria-pressed="false" tabindex="0">Menu<span class="icon icon-nav-menu">
</span></button><ul class="nav-list" id="mplus-menu-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs &amp; Supplements</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li>
</ul><button type="submit" aria-controls="mplus-search" role="button" title="Search" class="navmenu-btn" id="sm-search-btn" aria-pressed="false" tabindex="0"><span class="hide-offscreen">Show </span>Search<span class="icon icon-nav-search">
</span></button>
<div class="top-1">
<!-- Search
================================================== -->
<form target="_self" title="Search MedlinePlus" action="//vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta" method="get" id="mplus-search">
<input type="hidden" value="medlineplus" name="v:project"/>
<input type="hidden" value="medlineplus-bundle" name="v:sources"/>
<div class="form-box text-combo">
<div class="form-area"><label for="searchtext_primary" class="hide-offscreen">Search MedlinePlus</label>
<span role="status" aria-live="polite" class="ui-helper-hidden-accessible">
</span><input type="text" aria-haspopup="true" aria-autocomplete="list" role="textbox" autocomplete="off" name="query" size="40" maxlength="400" title="Site Search input" alt="Site Search input" placeholder="Search MedlinePlus" class="form-text ui-autocomplete-input" id="searchtext_primary"/>
</div>
<div class="button-area">
<button type="submit" alt="Search MedlinePlus" title="Search MedlinePlus" class="form-btn">GO</button>
</div>
</div>
</form>
<!-- Secondary Nav
================================================== -->
<div class="secondarynav">
<ul class="nav-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/"><span>About MedlinePlus</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/"><span>What's New</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html"><span>Site Map</span></a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&amp;category=medlineplus&amp;from=//medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Nav Bar
================================================== -->
<div id="mplus-nav-bar">
<ul class="nav-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs &amp; Supplements</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<a title="Español" id="mplus-lang-toggle" href="../../spanish/ency/article/002444.htm">Español</a>
</div>
</div>
</header>
<!-- Content
================================================== -->
<div id="mplus-content">
<!-- Breadrcumbs -->
<div id="breadcrumbs"><div itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList" itemscope="" itemprop="breadcrumb"><span class="hide-offscreen">You Are Here:</span>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="1"/>
</div>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Medical Encyclopedia</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="2"/>
</div>
</div><div><span>Sweeteners - sugars</span></div></div>
<span class="page-url print-only">URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002444.htm
</span>
<!-- Article -->
<article><div id="d-article"><div class="page-info"><div class="page-title"><a name="start" id="start">
</a><h1 class="with-also" itemprop="name">Sweeteners - sugars</h1>
</div><div class="page-actions">
</div>
<noscript>
<span class="js-disabled-message">To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.</span>
</noscript></div><div class="main"><div id="ency_summary"><p>The term sugar is used to describe a wide range of compounds that vary in sweetness. Common sugars include:</p><ul><li>Glucose</li><li>Fructose</li><li>Galactose</li><li>Sucrose (common table sugar)</li><li>Lactose (the sugar found naturally in milk)</li><li>Maltose (product of starch digestion) </li></ul><p>Sugars are found naturally in milk products (lactose) and fruits (fructose). Most of the sugar in the American diet is from sugars added to food products.</p></div><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Function</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-1" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-1"><p>Some of the functions of sugars include: </p><ul><li>Provide sweet flavor when added to food.</li><li>Maintain freshness and food quality.</li><li>Act as a preservative in jams and jellies.</li><li>Enhance flavor in processed meats.</li><li>Provide fermentation for breads and pickles.</li><li>Add bulk to ice cream and body to carbonated sodas. </li></ul><p>Many foods with added sugars often add calories without other nutrients. These foods and drinks are often called "empty" calories. By contrast, foods containing natural sugars (such as fruit) also include vitamins, minerals, and fiber.</p><p>Most people know that there is a lot of added sugar in regular soda. However, popular "vitamin-type" waters, sports drinks, coffee drinks, and energy drinks also may contain a lot of added sugar. </p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Food Sources</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-2" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-2"><p>Some sweeteners are made by processing sugar compounds. Others occur naturally.</p><p>Sucrose (table sugar): </p><ul><li><strong>Sucrose</strong> occurs naturally in many foods, and it is commonly added to commercially processed items. It is a disaccharide, which is made of 2 simpler monosaccharides--glucose and fructose. Sucrose includes raw sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, and turbinado sugar. Table sugar is made from sugar cane or sugar beets.</li><li>Raw sugar is granulated, solid, or coarse. It is brown in color. Raw sugar is the solid part left when the liquid from the juice of the sugar cane evaporates.</li><li>Brown sugar is made from sugar crystals that come from molasses syrup. Brown sugar can also be made by adding molasses back to white granulated sugar.</li><li>Confectioner's sugar (also known as powdered sugar) is finely ground sucrose.</li><li>Turbinado sugar is a less refined sugar that still retains some of its molasses.</li><li>Raw and brown sugars are no healthier than granulated white sugar. </li></ul><p>Other commonly used sugars: </p><ul><li><strong>Fructose (fruit sugar)</strong> is the naturally occurring sugar in all fruits. It is also called levulose, or fruit sugar.</li><li><strong>Honey</strong> is a combination of fructose, glucose, and water. It is produced by bees.</li><li><strong>High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)</strong> and <strong>corn syrup</strong> are made from corn. Sugar and HFCS have almost the same level of sweetness. HFCS is often used in soft drinks, baked goods, and some canned products.</li><li><strong>Dextrose</strong> is chemically identical to glucose. It is commonly used for medical purposes such as in IV hydration and parenteral nutrition products.</li><li><strong>Invert sugar</strong> is a natural form of sugar that is used to help keep candies and baked items sweet. Honey is an invert sugar. </li></ul><p>Sugar alcohols: </p><ul><li><strong>Sugar alcohols</strong> include<strong> mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. </strong></li><li>These sweeteners are used as an ingredient in many food products that are labeled "sugar-free", "diabetic", or "low carb". These sweeteners are absorbed by the body at a much slower rate than sugar. They also have about one half of the calories of sugar. They should not be confused with sugar substitutes that are calorie free. Sugar alcohols may cause stomach cramps and diarrhea in some people.</li><li><strong>Erythritol</strong> is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in fruit and fermented foods. It is 60% to 80% as sweet as table sugar, but has fewer calories. Also, it does not result in as much of a rise in blood sugar after meals or cause tooth decay. Unlike other sugar alcohols, it does not cause stomach upset. Erythritol is used in many foods marketed to people with diabetes, and it is a main ingredient in Stevia and monk-fruit sweetener products. A recent study linked consuming erythritol to a mildly increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and death. More research is needed to understand the implications of this study and possible long-term adverse effects of using erythritol and other no- and low-calorie and artificial sweeteners.</li></ul><p>Other types of natural sugars: </p><ul><li><strong>Agave nectar</strong> is a highly processed type of sugar from the <em>Agave tequiliana</em> (tequila) plant. Agave nectar is about 1.5 times sweeter than regular sugar. It has about 60 calories per tablespoon compared to 40 calories for the same amount of table sugar. Agave nectar is not healthier than honey, sugar, HFCS, or any other type of sweetener.</li><li><strong>Glucose</strong> is found in fruits in small amounts. It is also a syrup made from cornstarch.</li><li><strong>Lactose</strong> (milk sugar) is the <a test="test" href="./002469.htm">carbohydrate</a> that is in milk. It is made up of glucose and galactose.</li><li><strong>Maltose</strong> (malt sugar) is produced during fermentation. It is found in beer and breads.</li><li><strong>Maple sugar</strong> comes from the sap of maple trees. It is made up of sucrose, fructose, and glucose.</li><li><strong>Molasses</strong> is taken from the residue of sugar cane processing.</li><li><strong>Stevia sweeteners</strong> are high intensity extracts derived from the stevia plant that are recognized as safe by the FDA. Stevia is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.</li><li><strong>Monk fruit sweeteners</strong> are made from the juice of the monk fruit. They have zero calories per serving and are 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar. </li></ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Side Effects</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-3" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-3"><p>Table sugar provides calories and no other nutrients. Sweeteners with calories can lead to <a test="test" href="./001055.htm">tooth decay</a>.</p><p>Large amounts of sugar-containing foods can contribute to excess weight gain in children and adults. Obesity increases the risk for <a test="test" href="./000313.htm">type 2 diabetes</a>, <a test="test" href="./007290.htm">metabolic syndrome</a>, and <a test="test" href="./000468.htm">high blood pressure</a>.</p><p>Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol may cause stomach cramps and diarrhea when eaten in large amounts.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Recommendations</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-4" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-4"><p>Sugar is on the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) list of safe foods. It contains 16 calories per teaspoon or 16 calories per 4 grams and can be used in moderation. </p><p>The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the amount of added sugars in your diet. The recommendation extends to all types of added sugars. </p><ul><li>Women should get no more than 100 calories per day from added sugar (about 6 teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar).</li><li>Men should get no more than 150 calories per day from added sugar (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar). </li></ul><p>The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans also recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 10% of your calories per day. Some ways to reduce your intake of added sugars include:</p><ul><li>Drink water instead of regular soda, "vitamin-type" water, sports drinks, coffee drinks, and energy drinks.</li><li>Eat less candy and sweet desserts such as ice cream, cookies, and cakes.</li><li>Read food labels for added sugars in packaged condiments and sauces.</li><li>There is currently no daily recommendation for the naturally occurring sugars found in milk and fruit products, but too much of <em>any</em> sugar can have negative effects on your health. It is important to have a balanced diet. </li></ul><p>The American Diabetes Association nutrition guidelines state that you do not need to avoid all sugar and foods with sugar if you have diabetes. You can eat limited amounts of these foods in place of other carbohydrates.</p><p>If you have diabetes:</p><ul><li>Sugars affect blood glucose control the same as other carbohydrates when eaten at meals or snacks. It is still a good idea to limit foods and drinks with added sugar, and to check your blood sugar level carefully.</li><li>Foods that contain sugar alcohols may have fewer calories, but be sure to read the labels for the carbohydrate content of these foods. Also, check your blood sugar level. </li></ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>References</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-Ref" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-Ref"><p>Evert AB, Dennison M, Gardner CD, et al. Nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes: a consensus report. <em>Diabetes Care.</em> 2019;42(5):731-754. PMID: 31000505. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31000505/" target="_blank">pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31000505/</a>.</p><p>Snetselaar LG, de Jesus JM, DeSilva DM, Stoody EE. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025: understanding the scientific process, guidelines, and key recommendations. <em>Nutr Today. </em>2021;56(6):287-295. PMID: 34987271. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34987271/" target="_blank">pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34987271/</a>.</p><p>US Department of Agriculture. Sweeteners: nutritive and nonnutritive sweetener resources. <a href="https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/nutritive-and-nonnutritive-sweetener-resources" target="_blank">www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/nutritive-and-nonnutritive-sweetener-resources</a>. Accessed April 21, 2023.</p><p>Witkowski M, Nemet I, Alamri H, et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. <em>Nat Med.</em> 2023;29(3):710-718. PMID: 36849732. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36849732/" target="_blank">pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36849732/</a>.</p></div></div></section>
<section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Review Date 4/13/2023</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-version" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div>
<div id="section-version" class="section-body"><p>Updated by: Stefania Manetti, RD/N, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC - Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. </p>
</div></div></section><section><div class="section ency-citation"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title ency-citation"><div id="citation-how-to"><button><span>Learn how to cite this page</span></button></div></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div></div></section><section><div class="section sec-mb"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Related MedlinePlus Health Topics</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-mtp" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
</span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">
</div></div><div name="Related MedlinePlus Health Topics" class="section-body" id="section-mtp"><ul class="side-nav"><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/carbohydrates.html">Carbohydrates</a></li>
</ul></div></div></section></div></div></article>
</div>
<footer>
<div class="provider-box group">
<div class="urac-logo">
<a href="https://accreditnet.urac.org/directory/#/certification/HCP-2/info"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/CertifiedSeal.png"/></a>
<p class="urac-logo-info">Health Content Provider<br>06/01/2025</p>
</div>
<p class="adam-info">
<a href='javascript:urac_open();'>A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC</a>, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's <a href='javascript:hwsopen();'>accreditation program</a> is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s <a href='javascript:edpolopen();'>editorial policy, editorial process</a>, and <a href='javascript:ppopen();'>privacy policy</a>. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: <a href='javascript:honc_open();'>verify here</a>.
</p>
</div>
<p class="adam-info">
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997-2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
</p>
<div class="adam-logo">
<a href="https://www.adam.com/about" target="_blank"><img width="49" height="10" alt="About A.D.A.M." src="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/ftrAdamlogo.gif"/></a>
</div>
<div id="mplus-footer">
<div class="footer1">
<ul class="secondarynav">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li>
<li><a name="contact" target="_blank" href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&amp;category=medlineplus&amp;from="><span>Customer Support</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul class="follow-footer">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html" class="follow-item">Subscribe to RSS<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/feed.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="RSS" title="RSS"></a></li>
<li><span class="follow-label">Follow us</span>
<a href="https://twitter.com/medlineplus" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_twitter.png" class="follow-icon" alt="X" title="X"></a>
<a href="https://facebook.com/Mplus.gov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_fb.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook"></a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mplusgov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Instagram_Glyph_Gradient_RGB.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram"></a>
</li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/social-media-toolkit/" class="social-media-toolkit-item">Social Media Toolkit<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_social_media_toolkit.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="Social Media Toolkit" title="Social Media Toolkit"></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="footer2">
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html" target="_blank">NLM Web Policies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/" >Copyright</a></li>
<li><a href="//medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/">Guidelines for Links</a></li>
<li><a href="//medlineplus.gov/plugins.html">Viewers &amp; Players</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html" target="_blank">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/">MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/">For Developers</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="address">
<a href="//www.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a>
<span>8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894</span>
<a href="//www.hhs.gov" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>
<a href="//www.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a>
</div>
<div class="return-top"><a href="#top" title="Return to top"><img class="return-top-icon" alt="Return to top" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/return-top.png"></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</footer>
</div><!-- End Wrap -->
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery-3.6.0.min.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-frontend-controls.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<!--[if lte IE 9]>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery.placeholder.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<![endif]-->
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-share.js?id=1112022" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/control.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds.min.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/ency/ency.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
</body>
</html>