Question about sugar consumption?!


Question: Question about sugar consumption.?
so i know that sugar is terrible for you and is basically empty calories, so i basically don't eat anything sugary (like chocolate or cookies) except for one day a week (usually friday or sat). however, i notice that lots of the healthy things i eat contain lots of sugars... like, i eat tons of fruit a day, so is this bad just because of the sugar.? or even in cereal there are sugars... is it that some sugars are ok for you and others aren't.? like, refined sugars are bad but other sugars can be alright.? because it's nearly impossible to limit your intake to 40 gs a day, even if you don't eat anything sugary.Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Right you have hit on quite a question.

The first thing you have to realize is that carbohydrates are sugars and sugars are carbohydrates. This is why you will often hear the terms "simple" and "complex" carbohydrates. simple carbohydrates contain 1-2 molecules called saccharides.
Common saccharides are glucose and fructose with table sugar (sucrose) being what is known as a disaccharide containing glucose and fructose joined by a chemical bond.
Complex carbohydrates are also made up of saccharides but can contain hundreds and thousands of them.

The important thing to realize is that both simple and complex carbohydrates are ultimately broken down absorbed and converted in to glucose. This glucose is then transported in to the blood trigging an insulin response (insulin response is the important bit to remember) which is responsible for the transportation of the blood sugar in to cells and muscle to be used as energy.

Now although both forms of carbohydrate are absorbed and converted in to glucose the rate at which they do so greatly differs.
Simple carbs are absorbed significantly faster because they are smaller and don't need as much digesting.

Okay trying to explain this properly... As all forms of carbohydrates are ultimately digested and converted in to the same substance (i.e. glucose) it is not the carbohydrates them selves that are bad but more the quantities that are consumed. Because simple carbohydrates are used to sweeten foods they are generally found in large dence quantities. When these dence simple carbohydrate foods are consumed large amounts of sugar is suddenly pumped in to the blood stream. Once the sugar is in the blood stream the body has to get rid of it. This is achieved by INSULIN. Now although insulin response is a natural desired effect there are two big problems with a RAPID insulin response. 1 high insulin response promotes fat storage and 2 prolonged abuse can result in insulin strain and ultimately diabetes.
Now this is why simple carbohydrates are generally considered bad!

Now to answer your question. like you said "lots of the healthy things i eat contain lots of sugars" if these sugars are in foods that are also high in fiber and complex carbohydrates the sugar release is slowed.
For example an apple contains fructose but it also contains fiber this fiber slows the absorption of the fructose preventing a rapid rise in blood sugar. On top of that the amount per portion isent going to be any ware closes to that on say a mars bar.
Hopefully you can see how its not the sugars them selves but how and with what they are consumed.

(the general rule of thumb is to stay away from foods with to much added sugar. and eat lots of fibre as this really helps regulate sugar release)

I hope i have helped a little...not verry good at explaining in writing!!

Regards jHealth Question & Answer

Yes, your body needs sugar.
But just like fats, there are healthy and unhealthy sugars.
Most cereal has unhealthy fats, especially the ones aimed towards smaller children.
Fruits have healthy sugars, natural sugars that help the body function properly.Health Question & Answer

Right. That's because all carbohydrates are basically sugar. Sugar is considered "bad" because it turns into fat-which has an understandably negative connotation. This is why carbs are also considered bad. Basically, there is no limit as to how much a person should eat of something a day because everyone's lifestyles and metabolisms and bodies' needs are different.

Carbohydrates turn into sugar which is immediate energy aka the "sugar rush." More complex carbs (whole wheat and potatoes and such) take a little longer to turn into sugar than straight sugar (like candy). But carbs are needed so you can move and have energy so then you can build muscle. Protein is what other foods are made up of (or at least partly). Protein builds and maintains muscle, takes the longest to digest and is also needed to survive and move. No one can have absolutely no muscle mass so eveyone needs muscle. What is not used towards muscle is stored, and can eventually just become fat, waiting for the body to work and get the fat to turn into more muscle. Carbohydrates turn direcly into sugar, which if not used more immediately, also turn into fat. So basically every food type that is not used is stored as fat whih everyone pretty much understand. But fat is also needed. If someone had zero fat they would not live because fat protects your vital organs and helps your internal stuff to function properly. And it allows you room to add muscle if you ever worked your body in a certain way. The other type of calorie is ethyl, (alcohol) which is the only type of the four calories that are not needed. Alcohol is not a fat, protien, or carb, but is often mixed with them to be consumed.

All of these work together for good, especially if eaten at the appropriate time. If you are about to do something that requires a lot of immediate energy you need those straight up sugars. If you are needing energy but it may sit for a while then eat complex ones that take longer to digest and keep you fuller longer. If you are about to work out you eat protien before and after, and fat always is ok, even in excess sometimes. Your body will use it eventually and if it doesn't then you'll know :)

Just always remember to eat a balance of all these things because too much protein makes you sluggish, too many carbs raises your blood sugar and makes you feel more hungry thus wanting more carbs, and too much fat makes you fat.

BTW fruits are carbs which are good sugarsHealth Question & Answer



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