Refined Sugar Chat

Understanding Sugar

SUCROSE

First things first, what is sugar? Well, it's kind of complicated since sugar has so many names, so lets start with sucrose.

Sucrose, aka table sugar, is the white crystalized sugar found in many households and foods. It is a disaccharide made up of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. While it is naturally occurring in many whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains, it is also added to many processed foods such as sweetened beverages, canned goods, baked goods, candy, boxed items, and much more. This is what we call added sugar.

GLUCOSE

Glucose is considered a simple sugar, aka monosaccharide, because it cannot be broken down into a simpler forms. This compound is the body's preferred energy source in the form of carbohydrates because it can be used immediately.

To put it simply, glucose is what most people refer to as blood sugar. As we eat carbohydrates like breads, fruits, and vegetables, our body;s break them down into glucose which causes our blood sugar levels to rise. This causes the cells in the pancrease to release insulin and alert cells to absorb the sugar that is in the blood.

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of how quickly certain foods cause blood sugar levels to rise once consumed.

As you can see, foods like white bread have a higher GI than lets say whole wheat bread. This is due to the fact that whole wheat bread contains more fiber and therefore slows the rise of blood sugar levels.

FRUCTOSE

Like glucose, fructose is a simple sugar. You many also hear it referred to as fruit sugar because it naturally occurs in some fruits. It is also found in foods like honey, high fructose corn syrup, sugar beets, and some vegetables.

Fructose alone has a low impact on GI, therefore, it will not cause blood sugar levels to sky rocket. However, fructose is metabolized by the liver and too much fructose can cause undesired outcomes. Too much fructose can lead to fat accumulation around the organs and therefore increase the risk for diabetes, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and heart disease.

As always it is important to be mindful of how much you are consuming of anything!

These three sugars each contain 4 calories per gram which can all be found in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. On the other hand, these sugars can also be extracted from plants and added to processed foods. Some alternate names for these added sugars include:

agave nectar
dextrose
malt sugar
brown rice syrup
molasses
high-fructose corn syrup
rice syrup
nectars
invert sugar
maple sugar

The list goes on and on. In fact, there are 56 names for sugar alone! Now that's a bit much if you ask me...

The Bottom Line

Sugar is found in many different foods including whole and processed. Whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, and dairy products contain sugar, fiber, and other nutrients. On the other hand, processed foods such as baked goods, packaged items, candy, and sweetened beverages have an enormous amount of sugar added to them due to the Westernized diet.

It is my motto to do everything in MODERATION. All foods can (and should) be consumed, even if they are unhealthy. The key here is to be mindful of what and how much you are eating. While, of course, whole and less processed foods should be consumed more than not, it is important to allow yourself some grace. Restricting yourself from foods you enjoy will only lead to deprived willpower and, eventually, binging eating.

Until next time,

Hannah Jeffery, RD2BE

References:

Groves, M. (2018, June 08). Sucrose vs Glucose vs Fructose: What's the Difference? Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sucrose-glucose-fructose

Nutritionist, J. (n.d.). Sugar explained. Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/sugar-explained

Skerrett, P. (2020, November 02). Is fructose bad for you? Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-fructose-bad-for-you-201104262425

Sollid, K. (2020, November 20). What is Fructose? Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://foodinsight.org/what-is-fructose/

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