Types of sugar

 

Sucrose

 

Sucrose is a 50-50 mixture of glucose and fructose. This is what is commonly known as table sugar.

 

Glucose

 

Glucose is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It is one of the body’s preferred forms of fuel. It is mainly obtained from breads, fruits, vegetables and dairy products etc.

 

Fructose

 

Fructose is commonly found in fruits and is sweeter than glucose, hence it is used as an added sugar in processed foods. This is commonly in the form of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup (contains 55% fructose)

 

Sugar Processing in The Body

 

Sugar is processed in the liver, where it is converted to fats. By consuming too much sugar, the liver will produce and accumulate an unhealthy amount of fat. This accumulated fat builds up around the liver and the abdomen (belly). This type of fat is also known as visceral fat.

 

Fructose is processed a little differently in the body. fructose is either converted to glucose or stored as fat by the liver. Unlike glucose, the presence of fructose by itself in the blood does not trigger an increase in insulin levels.

The issue with fructose is it can place a burden on your liver, since the liver converts fructose -> glucose.

 

This can lead to a whole series of metabolic problems since all blood leaving the intestines and stomach (where food is processed) passes through and is processed in the liver.

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Visceral fat is a particularly dangerous type of fat because it can increase your insulin resistance (even if you don't have diabetes) and cause fatty liver disease. As these become worse, they cause inflammation in many parts of the body and further lead to several additional issues.

 

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which helps regulate blood sugar. It does this by allowing glucose to enter cells and be used for energy. Insulin also signals the liver to store excess glucose in the blood for later use in the form of glycogen, either in the liver (as fat) or in muscles.

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Visceral fat also indirectly causes a whole range of other issues in our body by producing hundreds of harmful chemicals such as hormones, inflammatory markers and messengers, and neurotransmitters.

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All these issues are on top of the issues we have all experienced from refined sugar consumption; including tiredness, headaches, digestive problems and weakened immune system. In addition, refined sugar is also known to damage our gut bacteria balance and attack our adrenal glands and thyroid.

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