Is Sugar Bad?

Everyone knows that too much sugar is bad for you.  It can make you “hyper”, fat and sick; give you cavities, diabetes and a whole host of other conditions people would rather not endure.

People are pouring over labels to search out the amount of sugar that is in the products they are purchasing, and ultimately consuming, because it is common knowledge that “Sugar is bad for you.”

Reading Labels

When you read sugar on a label, it generally refers to a sweet flavored food additive that is a simple carbohydrate such as sucrose (which primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet).  Other simple carbohydrates are used in industrial food preparation, but are usually known by more specific names—glucose, fructose or fruit sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

Sugar is NOT always bad

What most people don’t know is that the term “sugar” is more than table sugar and various syrups.  Sugar is actually a biochemical term, derived from a more complex term, saccharide, that is a synonym for carbohydrates.

Where the the confusion starts is:  when experts utter the term “sugar” they, for the most part, are talking about all carbohydrates (saccharides) – foods that are particularly rich in starch (such as cereals, bread and pasta) and/or sugar (such as soft drinks, candy, jams and desserts).

For dietary purposes, carbohydrates can be classified as simple or complex.  The term complex carbohydrate denoted fruit, vegetables (that grow above ground) and whole-grains.  This excludes such sources of simple carbohydrates such as candy and sugary drinks; starches such as processed grains, flour and convenience, packaged grain products and vegetables that grow underground.

Simple carbohydrates are not essential nutrients in humans: the body can obtain all its energy from protein and healthy fats.  Simple carbohydrate provide 4  kilocalories per gram, but because they are absorbed quickly, contribute to spikes in blood sugar and, when needed, a spike in energy.

On the other hand, proteins also contain 4 kilocalorie per gram, while fat 9 kilocalories per gram and, because they require digestion to release their energy, provide a more regulated source of glucose (blood sugar) for energy.*

Complex carbohydrates, which are absorbed more slowly, perform numerous roles in living things including: storage of energy, structural components , coenzymes and as a component of DNA. Saccharides and their derivatives include many other key roles in the immune system, fertilization, cellular protection, repair and regeneration, blood clotting, and development.

Based on the effects on risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular issues and others, attributable to simple carbohydrates, the Institute of Medicine recommends that American and Canadian adults get between 45–65% of dietary energy from complex carbohydrates.

The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization jointly recommend that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55–75% of total energy from carbohydrates, but only 10% directly from sugars (their term for simple carbohydrates).

The long and short of the issue of sugar (carbohydrates) is:  glucose is glucose.  Too much, delivered too fast is not good.  Choosing diverse dietary sources of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, all of which require digestive action, will support the energy requirements of your body in more healthy way.

Attention to detail, good judgement and balance are the pillars that support your health.  There is always a tendency to make prefect the enemy of good.  Don’t despair!  Do the best you can with wholesome, natural food then fill the gaps with supplements, like the whole food concentrates and other professional grade supplements  from NUPRO.

How Healthy are You?

Find out with the NUPRO three step health plan.

*  The glycemic index and glycemic load concepts have been developed to characterize food behavior during human digestion. They rank carbohydrate-rich foods based on the rapidity of their effect on blood glucose levels.   Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly food glucose is absorbed, while glycemic load is a measure of the total absorbable glucose in foods.  The insulin index is a similar, more recent classification method that ranks foods based on their effects on blood insulin levels, which are caused by glucose (or starch) and some amino acids in food.

Are you considering starting a weight management program?  Get to your weight goals with the NUPRO weight loss systems.

NUPRO Helps You Achieve
Your Natural Health Objectives