why IS refined sugar so bad for you?

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hcam8
hcam8 Posts: 69
in Food and Nutrition
why IS refined sugar so bad for you?
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  • mendogirl
    mendogirl Posts: 87
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    bump
  • irefusetoquit
    irefusetoquit Posts: 62
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    Sugar = fat.

    Need I say more?
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
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    Read book: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

    http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Food-Eaters-Manifesto/dp/0143114964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313009926&sr=8-1
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Sugar = fat.

    Need I say more?

    Pants = Water ?
  • zml_mom
    zml_mom Posts: 270 Member
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    read the book SUGAR SHOCK and it will answer any question you have about sugar and refined sugar and all that it's a great book
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    Sugar = fat.

    Need I say more?

    f6e6a_funny-pictures-this-pig-is-wearing-boots-your-argument-is-invalid.jpg
  • mendogirl
    mendogirl Posts: 87
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    Sugar = fat.

    Need I say more?

    REFINED sugar.
    & that makes no sense
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Hits your blood stream very fast our bodies are made for slower sugars like occasional fruit all wrapped up with the natural fiber in the skin and flesh of the fruit. Refined sugar goes straight in and over time the pancreas starts putting out more insulin than needed and creates a cycle which leads to insulin resistance and then diabetes. A side effect of this is that when insulin is present the body is in storage mode. More insulin=more fat storage.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
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    Sugar = fat.

    Need I say more?

    f6e6a_funny-pictures-this-pig-is-wearing-boots-your-argument-is-invalid.jpg

    LOL!
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
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    Hits your blood stream very fast our bodies are made for slower sugars like occasional fruit all wrapped up with the natural fiber in the skin and flesh of the fruit. Refined sugar goes straight in and over time the pancreas starts putting out more insulin than needed and creates a cycle which leads to insulin resistance and then diabetes. A side effect of this is that when insulin is present the body is in storage mode. More insulin=more fat storage.

    WELL SAID!
  • pattyproulx
    pattyproulx Posts: 603 Member
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    Honestly, for a really great answer, watch "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" on YouTube.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    The body handles various types of carbohydrates differently. Generally, carbohydrates that are digested and absorbed slowly can help to control insulin response. These are carbohydrates that are higher in fibre and lower in simple sugars, such as beans/legumes and vegetables.

    In contrast, a diet consisting of added sugars and refined carbohydrates (which enter the body rapidly), can elevate blood triglyceride levels and bad cholesterol, and lead to insulin resistance.

    The raw materials we give our body through the consumption of food/supplements create the metabolic environment we desire.

    Insulin regulates nutrient entry into muscle cells. If insulin is seldom elevated, the muscle growth related benefits won’t occur. If you plan a higher carbohydrate intake at times when your body is better equipped to handle it, insulin will be under your control, and the body will function better.

    The majority of refined sugary carbs are empty calories and don’t do much for health. You could take advantage of refined sugary carb foods by using nutrient dense sources like dates, raisins, figs and nutrition bars. Don’t assume that because you exercised, you can eat as many refined sugary foods as you want.

    Eat sugary carbs rarely, and only after right after exercise.
  • gaeljo
    gaeljo Posts: 223 Member
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    http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-effects-of-sugar
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
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    Well, I studied up on this a bit a couple weeks ago, so let's see if I can explain it correctly.

    When you eat processed foods, such as refined sugar, or white flour, white rice, etc, it is has the outer shell or germ removed. This makes it extremely easy for your body to process and absorb once it hits your stomach.

    So you have this large rush of sugar into the bloodstream. (Carbs are all sugars...so same goes for the white flour, etc). Insulin is what the body releases to deal with sugar in the bloodstream. Because of the huge, fast, rush of sugar, the body releases a large amount of insulin to process it. The sugar is quickly dealt with and then you have all this insulin in the blood that now doesn't have anything to do. It calls up for more work (aka sugar) making you feel hungry.

    By constrast, whole grains are much harder for the body to process. It has to slowly chip away at the hard outer shells to get to the sugar on the inside. Therefore, the release of sugar into the bloodstream is much slower, and consequently, the insulin release is slow and controlled.

    There is more to this, such as what happens to the sugar and how your body decides to store it as fat, but I guess I need to go back and study some more. :)
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I eat lots of sugar and love it! Junkfood rocks!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    But seriously...

    Simple sugars are processed very quickly and spike your blood sugar. You get a quick burst of energy. But then your body produces insulin to remove the extra sugar and you start to feel sluggish (sugar crash) and probably crave more sugar. It can create a vicious cycle.

    Frankly there isn't much (any?) real difference between refined and unrefined simple sugars other than flavor. Those simple sugars should be avoided or minimized.

    Complex carbs are the carbs you should be aiming for. They are broken down more slowly, so you don't get this quick rush followed by crash cycle.

    Edit: or, what maryd523 said!
  • perishable
    perishable Posts: 26 Member
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    Why I avoid sugar and refined sugar is that sugar raises the insulin level in your blood and a raised insulin level increases fat storage. (Source: My doctor during my annual physical earlier this year).
  • muitobem
    muitobem Posts: 435 Member
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    Well, they've found a link between sugar and unhealthy levels of blood fats: Higher Triglycerides and lower HDL(good cholestrol)...
    Less sugar, lower Triglycerides; higher HDL.....

    It adds calories and displaces other nutritious foods...

    Sugar is the James Bond of food: It has code names, appears where you least expect it and leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Oh, and we kind of have a thing for it. "It tastes good, and the more that's produced, the more we eat," says George Bray, M.D., chief of the clinical obesity and metabolism division at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 1970, the amount of sugar in processed foods has nearly doubled, largely because sugar is cheap and readily available. Today it's pumped into pretty much everything to make food products more enticing—even ones that are already sweet, such as fruit juice. As a result, the average American gobbles up 43,800 more calories from added sugar (meaning sweeteners, like high fructose corn syrup and honey, that are added to packaged foods) per year than we did in 1977.

    Trouble is, our body isn't equipped to handle this amount. If a woman's intake of added sugars increases by more than 20 percent, her body-mass index rises 2 to 3 points, which is enough to shift from the normal weight to the overweight category or from overweight to obese, a 27-year study from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has found. Research has also linked increased sugar consumption to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

    But before you envision a sad existence devoid of chocolate,cutting out sugar completely isn't necessary or even possible," says Suzanne Farrell, R.D., of Denver. What is: indulging wisely, by curbing cravings and eliminating hidden sources.

    **women should limit themselves to about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, or about 100 calories. Men should aim for about 9 teaspoons a day, or 150 calories. Just how much sugar is that? A 12-oz. can of regular soda contains eight teaspoons of sugar, or about 130 calories.
  • muitobem
    muitobem Posts: 435 Member
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    Read this:

    The inside story (literally!) of what happens after a movie-theater-sized box of candy or an extra large soda passes your lips.

    Your Teeth:
    The remnants of candy and other sticky-sweet treats cling to molars, where the sugar begins mixing with bacteria in your mouth, creating an acid that can start breaking down protective tooth enamel, explains Kimberly Harms, D.D.S., a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.

    Your Stomach and Gut:
    After about 15 minutes in your stomach, the goody passes to the small intestine, where your body metabolizes sugar into glucose and fructose molecules, says Suzanne Hendrich, Ph.D., professor of food science at Iowa State University. Both are then broken down further, enabling them to pass into the bloodstream.

    Your Blood:
    A surge of glucose enters your bloodstream, with levels peaking about 30 minutes after you've eaten, Hendrich says. At this point, your pancreas is working overtime to pump out extra insulin to deal with the glucose influx. Meanwhile, the fructose is heading for your liver.

    Your Brain:
    Insulin begins rushing the glucose throughout your body, giving you a surge of energy for the next two hours. "Brain cells run solely on glucose," Hendrich says, "so a binge delivers a huge fuel infusion here, too, and you may feel more alert." Sugar also activates the production of serotonin and dopamine, neurochemicals linked with pleasure and reward—hence, the sugar high. The effects, however, are short-lived.

    Your Cells:
    About two hours after eating, your body has burned through all the glucose it could process and stored any extra as fat, and disposed of fructose or turned it into blood fat. With no sugar available, insulin and blood glucose levels dip, leaving you cloudy and lethargic, Hendrich says. Reaching for more sweets will only cause the cycle to repeat. Grab a piece of fruit and get a natural (and longer-lasting) sugar boost instead.

    Get the Highs after the Lows:
    Eat sweets after a balanced meal. Digesting everything together slows the surge of glucose into your bloodstream, helping keep energy levels steady.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    Hits your blood stream very fast our bodies are made for slower sugars like occasional fruit all wrapped up with the natural fiber in the skin and flesh of the fruit. Refined sugar goes straight in and over time the pancreas starts putting out more insulin than needed and creates a cycle which leads to insulin resistance and then diabetes. A side effect of this is that when insulin is present the body is in storage mode. More insulin=more fat storage.

    WELL SAID!
    THIS.

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