What is the nutritional value of sugar?

Sugar is a carbohydrate and therefore a valuable source of food energy, providing 4 calories per gram, roughly 16 calories in a level teaspoon. Sugar is rarely eaten on its own. Adding sugar to foods improves their taste and increases the range of foods that people eat. For example, without sugar many breakfast cereals, which provide important vitamins, minerals and fibre, would be less attractive.

Sugars, particularly added sugars, are often criticised as being 'empty calories' that displace important nutrients from the diet. This implies that people who eat diets high in sugars must have diets of poor nutritional quality and may be at risk of deficiencies in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). However, many studies have shown that average sugar consumers do not have lower intakes of recommended vitamins and minerals than low sugar consumers.

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