Why glucose gives energy and fructose hurtgar is one of the "
Main "enemies" of a healthy diet – people who are concerned about their diet usually agree on this.
But what exactly is sugar all about? Are all manifestations of sugar (household sugar, glucose, fructose, etc.) not considered?.) equals "bad"? And are we now allowed to stop eating healthy foods like fruit just because they contain fruit sugar (fructose? Questions about questions – which we clarify for you.
In this article, you'll learn:
1. Why sugar is an important source of energy for the body.
2. Why too much fructose can promote a fatty liver.
3. Why you don't have to give up even high-fructose fruit.
Sugar – harmful to our bodies
Too much sugar harms our body in many ways. Adrenaline. Cortisol pumps up. – Sugar impairs our Immune system, In that it can interfere with the function of white blood cells. – Sugar can promote excessive energy intake, and thus weight gain and Promoting obesity.
– In the long run, sugar can increase Insulin resistance of our bodies, which can trigger type 2 diabetes, nerve damage and the full range of cardiovascular diseases, among other things.
Sounds like we should avoid this devil's food at all costs, doesn't it?? But the matter is not that simple. In general, it is also impossible to make clear statements about the health of a food group, we have learned over the years – even with cereals and soy, a differentiated view is always useful.
Sugar undoubtedly has harmful potential. At the same time but it comes in various forms, such as glucose and fructose, in a variety of foods ago-including some fruits and vegetables that we tend to u.a. Considered healthy because of their high nutrient content.
It is therefore all the more important to distinguish between the different manifestations of sugar and to take a closer look at them.
Is sugar always the same? Fructose, glucose and co.
It does make a difference to our body what kind of sugar we feed it, because it can handle them differently.
Glucose – the "good" sugar
Glucose is the basic building block of most carbohydrates. It is a so-called simple sugar (monosaccharide), which forms other, more complex forms of sugar.
In our bodies, glucose occurs both as a precursor and as a breakdown product of glycogen, the Energy storage of the body. It is the usual unit of carbohydrate-based metabolic processes and, to that extent, is also related to insulin and blood sugar levels: If our blood sugar drops too low, the body activates its stores and draws on stored glycogen.
Similarly, the body regulates the processing of glucose the other way around through insulin levels, when our blood sugar levels are high enough or. too high is.
As an energy supplier, glucose can either be transported through the cells to be burned directly. Or it is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use.
Glucose has thus as important energy source and – currency for the body its justification. This is particularly true for people who are active in sports, who have to empty the glycogen stores in their muscles through heavy physical exertion and then replenish them. This statement depends of course on the fat metabolism of the individual.
Therefore, natural carbohydrates are important as a meal after sports, especially for the active among you. Found especially in starchy (starch is broken down by the body into glucose) vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash or root vegetables. Potatoes and rice are also suitable as carbohydrate suppliers.
Is fructose the "bad" sugar?
Fructose can also be consumed in the form of used for energy production in the cells. Because fructose and glucose are similar: Both have the same chemical formula, but differ in their structure. Fructose can be converted into glucose by a certain enzyme in the liver.
Too much ingested fructose can no longer be converted into glucose after a certain point. Fructose is alternatively metabolized by the liver to fatty acids and in this way can favor the accumulation of body fat.
In too large quantities Fructose can be harmful to the liver, causing similar effects to alcohol and leading to a fatty liver.
In addition too much fructose – directly or indirectly – has even more unhealthy consequences:
– Fructose can inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, which are responsible for a variety of chronic diseases. – Fructose can lead to an unfavorable composition of our intestinal bacterialead.
– Excessive fructose consumption can increase the risk of obesity and Diabetes increase (possibly by a favored fat liver). – Excessive fructose consumption (or insufficient absorption in the intestine) can lead to diarrhea and digestive problems.
No fear that you must do therefore now without fruit. The negative consequences of fructose are felt by many first when they consume processed foods or soft drinks with added fructose – e.g., fructose syrup. in the form of high-corn fructose syrup (HCFS) – and in this way can.
In addition, not every fruit contains much fructose. (Sweet) apples, mangos and pineapples are the ones that should be consumed in moderation if you want to lose weight or suffer from fructose intolerance (for reference: a 100 g apple contains about 6 g of fructose). Comparatively low in fructose and thus the better choice in terms of fructose content are berries, cherries, kiwis and apricots.
Not to forget the high consumption of normal household sugar in an average diet, which consists of 50% glucose and fructose. High sugar automatically leads to unnaturally high fructose consumption.
With a Too much fructose should therefore definitely be careful. A good guideline for most people is probably about 50 grams of fructose per day.
Too much sugar is unfavorable – especially fructose
So not all sugar is the same. And while sugar in bulk is generally not the healthiest energy source for our bodies, it still makes a difference in what form we consume it – especially whether it comes from a natural food or has been added to a food through processing steps.
Glucose is the "better" of the two sugars in some respects. As the energy currency of our body, it can be metabolized well and in sufficient quantities and used to provide energy. That's why glucose from healthy and natural carbohydrates is an important and sensible part of a balanced diet, especially for those of you who do hard physical work or intense sports like crossfit.
Fructose should only be consumed in limited amounts. Here it applies In particular, frequent consumption of processed foods with added fructose to avoid – what is out of the question with the Paleo diet.