Is all sugar bad sugar?
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starfish235 wrote: »Sugar is sugar. There are carbs/sugar in vegetables as well. Corn suyrup has a bad wrap. Honey is sugar. Sugar from the cane is just as bad as corn surgars. Carbs/sugar brings up your cholesterol not fats be they so called good or bad fats.
I have no clue what you're trying to say.
Really? Cause I have no problem understanding that.
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kendalslimmer wrote: »Refined/added sugar is the stuff most doctors council against. A little bit is fine, too much isn't great. Refined sugar is not something that's easy to avoid in this day and age, so I still eat chocolate - love it - but try to stay within my MFP sugar goal.
Natural sugar - e.g. in fruit - comes wrapped in fibre, so we digest it more slowly / differently, than the refined stuff. I don't worry if I go over my sugar goal on MFP because of fruit, but I do worry if I go over because I ate too much cake (i.e. refined sugar)...
If refined sugar is added to a meal that has protein, fat and vegetables it will digest much slower then fruit by itself, which actually doesn't digest slowly, quite quickly depending on the fruit........ but singling out a specific nutrient as bad is very popular, and I suspect this will continue for quite some time if this website is any indication.0 -
I don't know. I do know I need a lot of protein, and my macro's don't stay in balance if I eat too much sugar/candy/etc. When I got rid of a daily cupcake habit my skin cleared up within a week. Don't really care if it was sugar or glutens or whatever other factor someone wants to throw at me. I only have so many calories I can eat a day, and excessive sugar doesn't help.
That doesn't mean someone should worry about sugar within her calorie allowance, though. Clearly it's too much if you can't stay within your calories or get enough protein, but that doesn't mean it's bad or she should worry about eating fruit bringing her over MFP's overly low limit or all the things people get freaked out about sugar.
It's all about what "too much" is for a particular person.
Sugar never affected my skin negatively at all, but maybe I never ate enough, I dunno.0 -
i find all this sugar talk extremely confusing, why not cut out where you can and leave it at that ! instead of reading conflicting information which leads to total confusion !0
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@bohonomad
Sugar that are naturally contained in fruits and vegetables like glucose and fructose are good sugar. They are balanced by other properties of the fruits and veggies and slow down sugar digestion in the body. You need them for quick energy. Eating fruits therefore will not cause you to overeat them. Now, ADDED SUGAR is bad sugar, and gross intake of this sugar damages the vital organs of your body. This is the kind of sugar, you should be avoiding at all cost. So, if you want to stay healthy, avoid eating processed food, like corn syrup, pastries, candies, soft-drinks and the likes.0 -
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IMO, no one misunderstood what you said. You probably got flagged by someone who disagreed with what you said. It happens to many people on here, just hope you're not on someone flag list (which also happens to many people).
After rereading my post and realizing it got flagged for "abuse" I'd like to add this because I think maybe my post got misread:Hey op, you're in luck! Have I got news for you!
No sugar is bad. Additionally, the source from which you get sugar doesn't really matter. Sure, an apple will give you more nutrients and fiber than most chocolates, but that doesn't mean you should avoid the chocolates.
Like many, I'm still trying to figure out how diabetes works. I know genetics have to do with it, but also being overweight can play a part as well. As far as I know, eating sugar isn't a singular cause of diabetes, but it could possibly go hand in hand if someone is generally over consuming food and has a predisposition for diabetes.
When I said "no sugar is bad" I meant no type of sugar (fructose, glucose, etc) is bad. It was not meant to be read as "No, sugar is bad" as if I was correcting those who said that sugar is not bad.
When I said that an apple will give you more nutrients and fiber than most chocolates, I wasn't implying that people should just walk around eating apples all the time. I am a firm believer in IIFYM, and even indulging if it doesn't fit your macros from time to time. I don't know if someone just generally disagreed with my post or misunderstood it, but I just wanted to clear that up for anyone else who may have misunderstood. Thank you
OT: unless you have a medical issue where you have to track/monitor sugar, I wouldn't worry about it. If a doctor/nutritionist/dietitian told me to eat more fruit but not bananas, I tell them they don't want me to eat much fruit then.
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ireneblackwell wrote: »i find all this sugar talk extremely confusing, why not cut out where you can and leave it at that ! instead of reading conflicting information which leads to total confusion !
Because cutting out sugar is not always good. I've logged my breakfast and lunch for today and have 20 grams of sugar just from some veggies and blueberries. If I had my usual yogurt (plain) or a more sugary fruit like an apple or banana or, say, a sweet potato or plantain instead of regular potatoes I'd have way more sugar. What possible good would it do me to have an irrational fear of sugar and avoid those foods?
Also, I always CAN cut out more sugar. I don't have to eat any sweets ever if I don't want to (I hate this idea that eating pie is always because you can't help it, as opposed to a perfectly sensible and enjoyable CHOICE). However, I think it's better for my mental health, my relationship with food, and just my general enjoyment to be able to work in some chocolate or ice cream or pie without feeling like I'm somehow doing something bad or failing. The alternative seems to me messed up.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »ireneblackwell wrote: »i find all this sugar talk extremely confusing, why not cut out where you can and leave it at that ! instead of reading conflicting information which leads to total confusion !
Because understanding is better than ignorance.
+1
Also this.0 -
OrganicSFS wrote: »eating fruits therefore will not cause you to overeat them.
Eating no food causes me to overeat it. I either overeat it (which is a choice) or I do not. The food has no say in it.Now, ADDED SUGAR is bad sugar, and gross intake of this sugar damages the vital organs of your body.
So adding sugar to foods that have the properties of the fruit that you say make the sugar okay (like fiber and micronutrients -- say adding it to rhubarb or oatmeal) somehow is BAD even though it has the same qualities of the fruit which is GOOD? Uh, okay. (Also, what about dairy, which has no fiber?)
This is why understanding is good. There's a reason to watched added sugar more (it's usually in higher calorie items, though the calories aren't necessarily from sugar itself mostly), but it has nothing to do with the effect of the sugar. Read the WHO's explanation for its limits. Quite sensible, unlike some of the ridiculous alarmism here.This is the kind of sugar, you should be avoiding at all cost. So, if you want to stay healthy, avoid eating processed food, like corn syrup, pastries, candies, soft-drinks and the likes.
How do you define "processed foods"? Because most of the pastries I eat I wouldn't consider particularly processed (except as everything is), but they have sugar. All of the yogurt I eat is processed, yet its sugar is only natural sugar.
Also, please explain why eating an overall healthy diet plus some ice cream for dessert (say half a cup) makes me unhealthy, even if I do better at getting in my protein and fiber and veggies and overall micros than someone who phobically avoids ice cream (for which I pity that person).0 -
I'm a chocoholic and suggar addict and I've been trying to cut it out since I'm trying to lose weight and pretty scared of the possibility of dibetes. Even though I feel like I'm not eating that much sugar I still keep going over my daily limit with the fruit I eat. Is it okay if the sugar comes from fruit?? I still want more! helppp!
unless you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to sugar there is no reason to avoid it…
overall diet and dodge is what matters, not individual food type. Make sure you hit your calorie/macro/micro goals…
Also, the sugar level that MFP gives you is ridiculously low….0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »I'm a chocoholic and suggar addict and I've been trying to cut it out since I'm trying to lose weight and pretty scared of the possibility of dibetes. Even though I feel like I'm not eating that much sugar I still keep going over my daily limit with the fruit I eat. Is it okay if the sugar comes from fruit?? I still want more! helppp!
bohonomad everyone is different. Personally I wish I had cut out sugar 40 years ago so that I might have fewer health issues today. Losing the sugar for four months now has greatly improved my health so far. Actually some think the worse kind of sugar is fructose from fruit since one of its objective is to trigger weight gain.
ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/5/911.full
and the troll bot has chimed in …
ignore the fake profile person ...0 -
kendalslimmer wrote: »Refined/added sugar is the stuff most doctors council against. A little bit is fine, too much isn't great. Refined sugar is not something that's easy to avoid in this day and age, so I still eat chocolate - love it - but try to stay within my MFP sugar goal.
Natural sugar - e.g. in fruit - comes wrapped in fibre, so we digest it more slowly / differently, than the refined stuff. I don't worry if I go over my sugar goal on MFP because of fruit, but I do worry if I go over because I ate too much cake (i.e. refined sugar)...
so if I add table sugar to metamusil is it then good, because "fiber"..??? OR is it bad, because "added"????
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OrganicSFS wrote: »@bohonomad
Sugar that are naturally contained in fruits and vegetables like glucose and fructose are good sugar. They are balanced by other properties of the fruits and veggies and slow down sugar digestion in the body. You need them for quick energy. Eating fruits therefore will not cause you to overeat them. Now, ADDED SUGAR is bad sugar, and gross intake of this sugar damages the vital organs of your body. This is the kind of sugar, you should be avoiding at all cost. So, if you want to stay healthy, avoid eating processed food, like corn syrup, pastries, candies, soft-drinks and the likes.
complete and utter nonsense...0 -
Hi there, I'm a nutritional epidemiology student at the Friedman school for nutrition at Tufts University. In my [informed] opinion, sugars are not created equal. Fructose tends to push itself into the metabolic pathways leading towards lipid production, and is not used immediately for energy, whereas glucose goes to all the body tissues to immediately be used for energy because it is the preferred energy source for tissues. Therefore glucose is preferable to fructose. In addition, other factors influence the blood sugar response aside from just sugar. Fruit contains fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar. But, you still shouldn't eat too much fruit because it contains fructose. While it is true that genetics contribute massively to Type II Diabetes onset, we have only accounted for about 10% of the heredity so far in genetics studies, so most of that is still a mystery. However almost everyone develops T2DM by the time they are elderly, so everyone should still watch their sugar intake, and exercise plenty to use up the extra energy. If you'd like, go get your Hemoglobin A1C (a test for pre-diabetes and T2DM) checked at the doc to make sure you are in the "safe" range.0
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Diabetes comes from genetics/being overweight or obese, not from consuming too much sugar.
^^this. sugar is in many, many things, including fruit. I really wouldn't worry about your sugar intake unless you already are at risk for a medical condition and your dr. wants you to limit something.
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I stopped at epidemiology student. Fructose fear mongering seem to be prevalent in epidemiology circles, maybe look at RCT, dosage etc and get back to us.Stellablue1986 wrote: »Hi there, I'm a nutritional epidemiology student at the Friedman school for nutrition at Tufts University. In my [informed] opinion, sugars are not created equal. Fructose tends to push itself into the metabolic pathways leading towards lipid production, and is not used immediately for energy, whereas glucose goes to all the body tissues to immediately be used for energy because it is the preferred energy source for tissues. Therefore glucose is preferable to fructose. In addition, other factors influence the blood sugar response aside from just sugar. Fruit contains fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar. But, you still shouldn't eat too much fruit because it contains fructose. While it is true that genetics contribute massively to Type II Diabetes onset, we have only accounted for about 10% of the heredity so far in genetics studies, so most of that is still a mystery. However almost everyone develops T2DM by the time they are elderly, so everyone should still watch their sugar intake, and exercise plenty to use up the extra energy. If you'd like, go get your Hemoglobin A1C (a test for pre-diabetes and T2DM) checked at the doc to make sure you are in the "safe" range.
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Stellablue1986 wrote: »Hi there, I'm a nutritional epidemiology student at the Friedman school for nutrition at Tufts University. In my [informed] opinion, sugars are not created equal. Fructose tends to push itself into the metabolic pathways leading towards lipid production, and is not used immediately for energy, whereas glucose goes to all the body tissues to immediately be used for energy because it is the preferred energy source for tissues. Therefore glucose is preferable to fructose. In addition, other factors influence the blood sugar response aside from just sugar. Fruit contains fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar. But, you still shouldn't eat too much fruit because it contains fructose. While it is true that genetics contribute massively to Type II Diabetes onset, we have only accounted for about 10% of the heredity so far in genetics studies, so most of that is still a mystery. However almost everyone develops T2DM by the time they are elderly, so everyone should still watch their sugar intake, and exercise plenty to use up the extra energy. If you'd like, go get your Hemoglobin A1C (a test for pre-diabetes and T2DM) checked at the doc to make sure you are in the "safe" range.
I respectfully disagree. Ultimately, all mono/di/polysaccherides are broken down into glucose, but fructose and sucrose take an additional step and are processed into glucose by the liver. For general health and to avoid wicked post-meal spikes (note that I am a type 1 diabetic), I prefer fructose and sucrose, because they have to take that additional step to become glucose (which gives my insulin bolus more time to process due to the fact that I have to inject subcutaneously). If I am treating hypoglycemia, I prefer using glucose or dextrose (d-glucose), because it does not have to go through that additional step before it can enter the blood stream and bring up my blood glucose.
Some of the other things that affect glycemic response include whether there is fat and protein in the meal (I need to approach bolusing for high-carb high-fat meals differently than high-carb low-fat meals). I agree that fiber will also slow down glycemic response, but I noticed that it has less of an affect on my post-meal spikes than if I manipulated the macro distribution of the meal.
There is one thing that frustrates me that is not accounted for in studies on T2DM. There is a portion (about 10%) of those who are diagnosed as type 2 who instead have LADA ("type 1.5" -a more latent form of type 1 typically seen in adults. Like type 1, certain antibodies are also present, but the average amount of time it takes for a LADA person to begin insulin therapy is about 6 years compared to immediately for type 1). In most studies, these people who are eventually diagnosed with LADA are included in diagnosis statistics for T2DM.
I would not say that everyone develops T2DM by a certain age, but it would be more appropriate to say that everyone develops some degree of insulin resistance by a certain age. When it comes to diagnosis, I believe there is also criteria based off a random or fasting blood glucose check (off the top of my head, I think a fasting BG reading above 126 or a random BG reading above 200 points to a diabetes diagnosis), and it might be a cheaper alternative for if people are at a higher risk of developing T2DM. And, for the millionth time CONSUMING SUGAR DOES NOT CAUSE TYPE 2 DIABETES. Consuming an excess of ANY sugar that results in a calorie surplus will cause weight gain, and being overweight or obese can significantly increase the risk of developing T2DM, but consuming sugar will not directly cause T2DM.0 -
I'm a type 1 diabetic and recently I have started to incorporate a lot more natural sources of sugar into my diet, as opposed to refined sugar in cakes and sweets. I eat 2 pieces of fruit a day (usually a banana and blueberries - but i do like to change it up) and use things like maple syrup and cacao powder in my baking to give me the sweetness I like. From doing this, I have gained better diabetes control than I have managed previously, and have less spikes in my blood sugar. I've also managed to steadily lose around 1lb a week by doing this - although this can probably also be contributed to me eating alot cleaner than I had before.
Different things work for different people though. Maple Syrup may not impact my blood sugar levels as much as it may impact another Type 1. I think it's just finding out what works for your body.
Try the website Deliciously Ella for some great recipes that are refined sugar free.0
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