Sugars
What it is and what it does
- In the Indian food tables (IFCT 2017), 'free sugars' means the individual sugars measured in a food: the monosaccharides galactose, glucose and fructose and the disaccharides sucrose, lactose and maltose. (ICMR-NIN. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (Longvah T et al.))
- WHO uses 'sugars' to cover intrinsic sugars (inside the structure of intact fruit and vegetables), milk sugars (lactose and galactose) and free sugars. (WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- Added sugars are sugars and sugar syrups added to foods and drinks during processing and preparation; ICMR-NIN's examples include table sugar (sucrose) and jaggery. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
- Disaccharides (such as sucrose and lactose) must be split into monosaccharides before they can be absorbed. (FAO/WHO (1998). Carbohydrates in human nutrition. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation (Rome, 14-18 April 1997). FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 66, Chapter 1 - The role of carbohydrates in nutrition)
- Lactose, the sugar in milk, is split in the small intestine by the enzyme lactase into galactose and glucose, which are then absorbed. (FAO/WHO (1998). Carbohydrates in human nutrition. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation (Rome, 14-18 April 1997). FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 66, Annex 2 - Dietary carbohydrate composition)
- Sugars count as carbohydrate energy: 4 kcal (16.7 kJ) per gram. (WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization)
Why it matters
- Sugar added over and above what is naturally present in foods raises calorie intake but adds no nutritive value. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
- WHO notes a concern about the association between free sugars intake and dental caries (tooth decay). (WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- WHO found no reported evidence of adverse effects from intrinsic sugars (in intact fruit and vegetables) or the sugars naturally present in milk; its limits apply to free sugars. (WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization)
- ICMR-NIN: no added sugar for children younger than 2 years. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
General information, not medical advice — for your own needs, ask a doctor or dietitian.
How much is needed
| Who | Amount | What the figure is | Whose figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | less than 5 % of total energy per day | Dietary guidance for sugar | ICMR-NIN (DGI 2024) |
| Adults | avoid, or 20-25 g per day | Dietary guidance for sugar | ICMR-NIN (DGI 2024) |
| Adults and children | less than 10 (about 50 g, 12 level teaspoons, on a 2000 kcal diet) % of total energy (free sugars) | WHO recommendation (strong) | WHO (not an Indian value) |
| Adults and children | below 5 % of total energy (free sugars) | WHO suggestion (conditional recommendation) | WHO (not an Indian value) |
India’s own figure (ICMR-NIN 2020) comes first. Figures from other bodies are shown only where they help, and say whose they are.
Sources: ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024; WHO fact sheet: Healthy diet (26 January 2026); WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization
In every millet and pseudo-cereal, per 100 g raw
| Grain | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fructose | ||
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.57 g | IFCT A005 |
| Teff | 0.47 g | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 0.21 g | IFCT A003 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.1 g | IFCT A002 |
| Glucose | ||
| Quinoa | 1.41 g | IFCT A009 |
| Kodo millet | 0.89 g | IFCT A017 |
| Teff | 0.73 g | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 0.6 g | IFCT A003 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.25 g | IFCT A010 |
| Little millet | 0.24 g | IFCT A016 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.22 g | IFCT A002 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.1 g | IFCT A005 |
| Sucrose | ||
| Teff | 0.62 g | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.6 g | IFCT A005 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.48 g | IFCT A002 |
| Kodo millet | 0.4 g | IFCT A017 |
| Little millet | 0.13 g | IFCT A016 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.12 g | IFCT A010 |
| Maltose | ||
| Teff | 0.01 g | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Free sugars (total) | ||
| Quinoa | 1.41 g | IFCT A009 |
| Kodo millet | 1.29 g | IFCT A017 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 1.27 g | IFCT A005 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 0.81 g | IFCT A003 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.8 g | IFCT A002 |
| Little millet | 0.37 g | IFCT A016 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.34 g | IFCT A010 |
| Sugars (total) | ||
| Teff | 1.84 g | USDA FDC 169747 |
Each grain has ONE source, named on its page: IFCT = Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) with its food code; USDA FDC; FAO WAFCT 2019; NIN 2007 via ICAR-IIMR. Values exactly as printed, not converted — tables differ in method, so compare within a source. Published values for the grain, not a laboratory test of our packs.
Absorption and food
- Blanching, boiling and canning vegetables and fruits loses a considerable part of their small sugars (mono- and disaccharides) into the cooking water. (FAO/WHO (1998). Carbohydrates in human nutrition. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation (Rome, 14-18 April 1997). FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 66, Annex 2 - Effects of food processing on dietary carbohydrates)
- Glucose is a reducing sugar, so it readily takes part in the Maillard (browning) reaction. (FAO/WHO (1998). Carbohydrates in human nutrition. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation (Rome, 14-18 April 1997). FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 66, Annex 2 - Dietary carbohydrate composition)
- Sugars come mainly from fruits, berries, fruit juices, some vegetables, milk and milk products, and foods with added sucrose. (EFSA (2017). Dietary Reference Values for nutrients: Summary report. EFSA Supporting Publications 2017:e15121 (doi 10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.e15121); sections 3.2 Carbohydrates and dietary fibre, 3.3 Fats, 3.5 Water)
- Monosaccharides are single-molecule sugars such as glucose and fructose in fruits. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
- Disaccharides are two sugar molecules joined, such as sucrose (table sugar) and lactose in milk. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)