Sugars are found in nature. All green plants providing foodstuffs, including fruits and vegetables, grains, as well as milk and honey, contain naturally-occurring sugars. Many types of sugars are found in the diet on a daily basis. These include, for example, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose. When the term ‘sugar’ is used, people are referring to ‘sucrose’ (table sugara). Over recent years, a debate has arisen over the amount of sugars people should eat and the potential effects sugars may have on health. This brochure explores the science around sugars and intends to put the evidence on sugars and health into context. Sugars are carbohydratesb. As such, they provide the body with the energy that our organs and muscles need to function. Sugars are typically named in relation to their size and chemical structure (Figure 1). Monosaccharides are single unit sugars with ‘mono’ meaning ‘one’ and ‘saccharide’ meaning sugar molecule. Monosaccharides commonly found in food are glucose, fructose and galactose.