Sugar is a simple carbohydrate.
Simple carbohydrates are either monosaccharides or disaccharides
Mono = 1
Di = 2
The two main monosaccharides are: glucose and fructose
The two main disaccharides are: sucrose and lactose
Basic definition of sugar:
Glucose: Simple Sugar
Fructose: “Fruit Sugar”
Sucrose: “Table Sugar”
Lactose: “Milk Sugar”
Now that our terminology is somewhat defined, let’s move on to where people really start to care…
⬆️Sugar is a drug
Refined sugar quickly raises blood sugar levels and creates AGEs (advanced glycation products).
This can damage cells and lead to cancer and atopic atherosclerosis.
Additionally, sugar creates a euphoric feeling in the brain, and when it runs out, people can become anxious and become addicted to sugar again.
⬆️Recently, a study published in Nutrients showed that compared with people who do not drink sugary drinks, people who drink a lot of sugary drinks every day have a 60% increased risk of fatty liver disease. If they switch to sugar-free drinks, the risk of fatty liver disease increases by 78%, which is even higher!
If you drink not just one type but multiple types of artificially sweetened sugar-free beverages, your risk of fatty liver disease increases to 94%.
⬆️Fruits are just as troublesome as sugar. Fructose (including the sugar in fruits) is more likely to cause problems than glucose. Glucose can be burned in all cells, but fructose (the sugar in fruits) can only be burned in the liver. If you eat too much fruit in a short period of time, the liver cannot keep up with the burning of fructose and converts it into fat. In this case, it will cause fatty liver like alcohol, and may turn into cirrhosis in the future...
⬆️No matter how you eat it, fructose is fructose!
There is a misconception that how fructose is metabolized depends on its source (e.g., fruit vs. processed foods and sweets), which may stem from several factors:
1) Fiber and nutrients: Whole fruit contains fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients that can affect the body's overall metabolic response. For example, fiber slows the absorption of fructose. This may create the impression that fructose in fruit is metabolized differently than fructose in processed foods.
2) Consumption form: Fructose from whole fruits is generally consumed in smaller amounts and over a longer period of time compared to high concentrations of fructose in processed foods and sweetened beverages.
3) Health outcomes: Some studies may suggest that consuming whole fruit leads to better health outcomes compared to consuming high-fructose processed foods. This leads to the misconception that fructose itself is metabolized differently, rather than considering the overall nutritional context, other lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, including the bias of healthy users.
4) Public health messages sometimes simplify complex nutrition information to make it easier to understand. This simplification can lead to misunderstandings about the nuances of how different types of foods affect the body.
5) Sometimes, research findings and media coverage do not clearly distinguish between natural forms of fructose (such as fructose found naturally in fruit) and added fructose (such as fructose in high fructose corn syrup or sugar). This can also lead to confusion about the effects of different sources of fructose.
In fact, fructose is metabolized in the liver in a similar way regardless of its source.
⬆️Fructose and alcohol are metabolized in a similar way in the liver.
In excess, they convert into fat, leading to fatty liver disease.
Until the 1980s, alcohol was the main cause.
With the increase in sugar intake, fructose has now become the main cause of fatty liver disease.
Choose low-sugar fruits → …lemons, limes, kiwi, pomegranates, cranberries and other berries like strawberries and blueberries.