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.