Is all sugar created equal?

saidie186
saidie186 Posts: 1
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I decided to keep track of my sugar intake in my food diary, and it seems like I am always over. The sugar I eat mainly comes from fruit. Will there be negative effects of taking in too much of this kind of sugar for me? I thought natural sugars from fruits etc, as opposed to refined sugars, were better, but the diary calculates them equally. Any insight?

Replies

  • sunflower0022
    sunflower0022 Posts: 129 Member
    I am ALWAYS over on my sugar intake.. bananas usually kill it for me.. and fruit in general. Then add in just normal foods and I am usually over by noon!
    I would like to think that natural sugar is better.. and is ok.. but I know too much is not good.
  • Photoplex
    Photoplex Posts: 49 Member
    Arguments are still raging in the scientific community on the fructose vs sucrose debate. Some say fructose is only advantageous to diabetics because it breaks down slower than sucrose in the body. Some say fructose comes packaged in something that is good for you in other ways (an orange etc), and that refined sugars come in things like cakes or sodas. Some say that fructose actually causes you to lost nutrients that your body has stored already. Some argue that fructose is converted into fat in the body, whereas sucrose is broken down into glucose (and fructose) which is what your body uses for physical and mental energy.

    The only certainty is this. 1 gram of sugar, is 1 gram of sugar, regardless of where you get it from. MFP has it exactly right.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    There are different types of sugars. There are the simple sugars, like glucose and fructose, and more complex sugars (like the long chained starches). The simple sugars get into your blood stream quicker (their the easy used energy currency in the body) and the complex ones take longer to digest and get going in your obdy.

    As for if it's bad...that's a big debate. For me, yes. I'm very sensitive to sugar, be it natural from a banana, melon, pineapple, grains, whatever. So to really answer your question, you have to turn to yourself. How does your body react when you eat the fruits/carbs/sugars? Do you feel hungry soon after? Are you well satisfied? Does your weightloss stall? Do you get more cravings?

    Generally, I agree that I prefer the fructose in an actual fruit over added fructose in a food-stuff, eventhough they technically are the same sugar. I just try to limit the amount of simple sugars I have in my diet.
  • Photoplex
    Photoplex Posts: 49 Member
    Generally, I agree that I prefer the fructose in an actual fruit over added fructose in a food-stuff, eventhough they technically are the same sugar. I just try to limit the amount of simple sugars I have in my diet.

    The hot debate over the last few years is that fructose may be one of the bigger causes of obesity in the USA. More and more products in the US are using High Fructose Corn Syrup instead of sugar (due to the ridiculous sugar subsidies imposed by the government), and the body converts fructose into fat. There are a lot of studies that show that fructose causes fat cells to mature and grow.
  • bloblynda
    bloblynda Posts: 99 Member
    I think that it's impossible to eat your five-a-day without going over the sugar level. But it is natural sugar and as long as you are not adding refined sugars to anything you should be OK. After all, all carbs that we eat including the complex starches break down into glucose (another form of sugar). Also added sugar rots your teeth - I don't think the sugars in fruit do that - but I could be wrong
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Generally, I agree that I prefer the fructose in an actual fruit over added fructose in a food-stuff, eventhough they technically are the same sugar. I just try to limit the amount of simple sugars I have in my diet.

    The hot debate over the last few years is that fructose may be one of the bigger causes of obesity in the USA. More and more products in the US are using High Fructose Corn Syrup instead of sugar (due to the ridiculous sugar subsidies imposed by the government), and the body converts fructose into fat. There are a lot of studies that show that fructose causes fat cells to mature and grow.

    Yes, I read the study with HFCS and the rats that came out a few months back. My point is that I'd prefer to eat an apple than something with added sugar which generally is made with the concentrated syrups. Go to the natural source, not a factory, and at least get some nutrients out of the deal. I don't think that we should have as much fruit as people do, but some people can tolerate more than others, hence why it's important to pay attention to your body. I'm not disagreeing with you and I've read the science, too - I am a scientist who get distracted by other journal articles than her specific job's topic sometimes. hehe :) And what about the sugar addiction issues too? Gets more interesting as the evidence mounts.

    And yes, the sugar industry and the gov't...man...That's another topic.
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