SUGAR—THE SWEET & BITTER TRUTH
As much as we’ve heard about the evils of sugar, our bodies actually require it. Every single cell in our body needs carbohydrates to provide energy. And all carbs are made up of sugar of one form or another. These are the three main types of carbohydrates:
Sugar. Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate and occurs naturally in some foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. Types of sugar include fruit sugar (fructose), table sugar (sucrose) and milk sugar (lactose).
Starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate, meaning it is made of many sugar units bonded together. Starch occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, and cooked dry beans and peas.
Fiber. Fiber also is a complex sugar-based carbohydrate. It occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and cooked dry beans and peas.
Megan Grover writes in SFGate, (Read Article) “Most carbohydrates are broken down into glucose — the sugar your body uses to form energy. It either becomes stored energy in your muscles and liver, or your body uses it immediately. Refined sugar is the molecule sucrose, made up of glucose and fructose.
The major sources of refined sugar are regular soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies, pies and fruit drinks plus dairy desserts and such milk products as ice cream and sweetened yogurt. Today, not only do we find sugar in the products just mentioned, but also the typical American diet is packed with huge amounts of added sugars—those used as ingredients in many packaged foods, mainly in the form of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup.
“The problem with refined sugar—and the reason it contributes to obesity and chronic diseases—is its fast rate of metabolism, lack of healthy nutrients and inability to make you feel full. Sugar comes from sugar cane, yet extreme refinement has eliminated all of the fiber and plant nutrients. Refined sugar is quickly broken down into glucose and fructose. The increase in glucose spikes insulin and blood sugar levels, giving you a quick surge of energy. If you do not use this energy immediately, your body may turn it into fat. Fructose is metabolized in your liver and is absorbed at once, increasing fat cell production and workload on your liver. The quick digestion of refined sugar prevents fullness even after you eat a calorie-rich chocolate bar, leaving you hungry.” Chemically manufactured high-fructose corn syrup has similar disadvantages.
Benefits of Eating Whole Fruit “Fruit contains many benefits compared to refined sugar.” Besides being rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals, whole fruit (such as oranges or apples, not fruit juice such as orange or apple) is an excellent source of fiber. “The presence of fiber in fruit determines what happens to fruit sugars in your body and how quickly they are broken down in your gastrointestinal tract. Unlike refined sugar, fiber in fruit expands in your gut, making you feel full. Fiber is the biggest secret as to why fruit sugars are not as dangerous as refined sugar, preventing the sugars from being rapidly broken down and stored.”
While added sugars generally are not beneficial, they can serve a purpose for us seniors during long workouts and for senior runners or triathletes in races that last longer than an hour. These are usually in the form of gels and sports drinks that contain sugars that can be absorbed quickly.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Americans eat about 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day, on average. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar for women and 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons for men. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars, without singling out any particular types such as high-fructose corn syrup. (Read article)
Over the past 30 years, Americans have steadily consumed more and more added sugars in their diets, which has contributed to the obesity epidemic. Reducing the amount of refined and added sugars you eat and instead adding fruit cuts calories and can help you improve your heart health, help prevent diabetes, and control your weight.