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Is Sugar the Enemy?

I’m pretty sure most of you have heard about the crack down on sugar and that sugar is bad for you. Is it the villain it's being made out to be? The answer to this question is complex, as our body needs sugar AKA glucose to function. In my May newsletters, I will dive deep into the world of sugar and explain what it does for and to our bodies. I will explain what carbohydrate are, which sugars to stay away from, and which ones you want to include into your diet.

This week is a bit of a science lesson. Let’s jump in, shall we?


First, let’s place sugar into it’s rightful category of nutrients. Sugar is a carbohydrate, one of the three macronutrients. Macronutrients are the major constituents of the foods we eat and are the main sources of our bodies’ fuel. They include: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; each one is broken down into smaller compounds. We need a combination of all three to have a healthy diet, yet each one of us needs that combination in different percentages. Our age, our activities, our gender, and whether we have an underlying health condition, all play into determining how much of each macronutrient we need. This is called bioindividuality. We are each unique in our nutritional needs.


Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source; they are fast acting and give us instant, quick bursts of energy. Because they act so quickly, they also spike our blood sugar levels (some foods more than others – called they glycemic index), and the energy they give us doesn’t last long, but it is necessary for health of our cells.


When you think of the word carbohydrate or just carb, what comes to mind? I’m guessing you’ll answer one of the following or something like it: pasta, bread, pastries, baked goods. You are correct, but ALL vegetables and fruit are also carbohydrates. All carbohydrates, no matter the source, convert to glucose (sugar). So, with this you may ask, then isn’t sugar from a piece of cake the same as sugar from a piece of fruit? You’ll have to keep reading May’s newsletters to get the answer to that question.


So…carbohydrates are broken down into natural sugars and there are two categories: Simple and Complex. Let’s examine how these are different.


SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES/SUGARS

Simple sugars are further categorized by the number of molecules they contain. Monosaccharides (mono meaning one or singular) are one molecule sugars and disaccharides (di meaning two) are two sugar molecules.


Monosaccharides include glucose, fructose and galactose.

  • Glucose is what all carbohydrates breakdown into for the body to use. It is the main source of energy (especially for the central nervous system and red blood cells) for the body. Naturally it is found in fruits, honey, root vegetables, corn, and most complex carbohydrates. The regulation of glucose in your bloodstream is controlled by the hormone insulin. When you consume glucose, the pancreas secretes insulin to bring glucose levels down.

  • Fructose is also known as “fruit sugar”. In order for the body to use fructose, it must be converted into glucose by the liver. Since it is metabolized by the liver, it doesn’t have as much of an impact on your blood sugar levels as other types of sugar which need insulin to keep it in balance. With that said, too much fructose in the diet can still be harmful by putting more burden on the liver. Fructose is naturally found in many fruits, maple syrup, honey, some vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, zucchini. It’s not in these whole foods, but in the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) where it becomes harmful. HFCS is in so many processed foods and drinks.

  • Galactose is found in milk and is one of the molecules in the disaccharide lactose.


Disaccharides are a combination of single molecule sugars – they all have at least one glucose molecule and include sucrose, maltose, and lactose.

  • Sucrose is a combination of two monosaccharides = 1 glucose + 1 fructose. Sucrose is what “table sugar” is and it is also naturally found in fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, and molasses.

  • Maltose is the result of 2 glucose molecules bonding together. It is found in malted grain (barley & sorghum) products and syrups.

  • Lactose is found in milk and is the combination of 1 glucose + 1 galactose.

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES/SUGARS

When several simple sugars are joined together by chemical bonds they create branches/chains which are called complex sugars (polysaccharides).

The more chains/branches, the more complex the sugar. The more complex the sugar is, the slower it breaks down. The slower it breaks down the better regulated/balanced your blood sugar will be.

Food examples of complex sugars include: whole plant foods, especially grains, starchy vegetables, legumes.



Now you know what sugar is, but how does it affect our bodies and our health? Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter where I will answer the question: “if all sugars are broken down into glucose, isn’t sugar from a piece of cake the same as sugar from a piece of fruit?

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