Mr. A.J. deLange asked me to forward this to the digest, so here it is: >I cannot post to the digest (for reasons I don't understand) so pass >this on if you like. > >Glucose and fructose are monosaccharides i.e. simple sugars each >comprising a simple ring structure. Sucrose is a disaccharide formed by >joining one glucose and one fructose molecule (eliminating a water >molecule in the process) and is thus approximately twice the size of a >fructose or glucose molecule. In human digestion sucrose is "inverted" >back to fructose and glucose by the action of acid and heat in the >stomach. The intial metabolism of each is by separate pathways but each >ultimately produces pyruvate for further metabolism. In the bee sucrose, >which is a major constituent of nectar, in inverted by an enzyme from >the bee's pharangyal gland. Thus honey is not primarily sucrose but >rather a mix of glucose and fructose with traces of other sugars. This >mix would be called "invert sugar" if purchased man made. Lyle's golden >syrup is an example. Thus ingested honey is metabolized the same as cane >sugar except that the inversion is already done. But the inversion >basically comes for free. Your stomach contains acid and warmth anyway. >Honey tastes better! > >A.J.