Heroes or villains? Sugars in health and disease
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22201/cuaieed.16076079e.2021.22.2.5Keywords:
sugars, glycoconjugates, infection, human-pathogen interaction, prebioticsAbstract
Whenever we hear the world sugar, sweets and desserts come to our minds, followed by thoughts of diseases such as cavities, diabetes and obesity. Information in social networks, blogs, and magazines often reinforces the misconception that sugars are always unhealthy and should therefore be avoided by all means. The virtuous attributes of sugars are thus permanently entangled with its evil counterpart. Sugars are molecules of great structural and functional diversity, which makes them essential in various physiological and pathological events, beyond their dietary-related role. Here we describe some amazing processes in which sugars are instrumental, and we analyze their effects on health and disease.
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