Should I be worried about sugar if it's all from fresh fruit

bump

I posted this same question a week ago after starting to track my sugar and having a heart attack that I was at almost double my recommended amount already at 3pm - then seeing it was from one banana, one pear, and two kiwifruit! The responses I got were mixed, but people seemed to think that so long as diabetes isn't a problem, sugars from fruit are fine. I'm still making an effort to cut back a little though, and trading some of my fruits for vegetable snacks so I don't go so far over.

bump

I actually met with a dietician last night and she said that as long as your total carbs are within reasonable limits it absolutely does not matter whether they come from sugar or bread or whatever. So, if you are not going over your total carbs, don't worry about it. I actually took the sugar tracking off because even milk has some natural sugars, and it was depressing.

I took my sugars off too I think it just depends on each person. I always go over on my protein and fiber too and I don't let it bother me.

Sugar is sugar.... really.
The idea that fructose from fruit is any different from the fructose in High Fructose Corn Syrup are different is simply not true.
That being said, there are important things to consider in eating any carbohydrate rich foods.
The first is the glycemic index. This is the potential of any food to raise blood sugar and elevate insulin levels.
Then there is the insulin index or glycemic load, or the metabolic index... whatever you choose to call it.this is how your body actually metabolizes a given food. Glycemic load is determined by measuring blood sugar levels in individuals given controlled portions of food.

Take this example... you eat a spoon of sugar vs. an apple. The sugar in a spoon of sugar is metabolized faster than the sugar in the apple because of the surrounding matrix. The moderation of insulin response to blood sugar, keeps energy levels under control. There is a spectrum of response in all individuals, as is demonstrated in the general population.... under production of insulin is just as bad as over production, but the spikes that large amounts of sugar (whether from candy, soda, or fruits) can cause higher insulin responses than necessary and you can end up eating more because your blood sugar is spiking from high to low. This is not a simple concept, but it can be summed up pretty simply... moderation.... something you already know. AND, sugar calories DO COUNT.


The dietician that says they don't? They are simply wrong and do not understand the biochemistry associated with the metabolism of sugar. Here are some more examples, based on a quick summary of glycemic vs. metabolic index (potential v. actual metabolism) that you can look up in sources on glycemic load vs. index. Rice, flours, and potatoes all have high glycemic loads because they are metabolized quickly into simple sugars, and yet they have no "sugar". Watermelon and bananas raise blood sugar quicker than an apple.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/76/1/5.full

Moderation!

Diabetic or not, blood sugar spikes can cause subsequent cravings for more food. That is why GI and GL have relevance to diet. Moderation of blood sugar response controls hunger.

Ever eat rice and you are hungry soon after? If you have, you have experienced the exact response that is important to keeping your life long weight loss under control....