All Sugar is NOT Created Equal...well, sort of.

So you think you know a lot about sugar huh?  You think that ALL sugars are exactly the same, right?  Well, guess what?  YOU ARE RIGHT...sort of.

So many things in life are confusing.  Wouldn't you agree?

Two of the most confusing topics in our world are exercise and diet.  No, I'm not talking about what most people think of the word diet...which by the way, is usually the verb 'version' of the word, rather than the noun 'version'.  

Yep, that's right people, I've actually combined nutrition and grammar...something I never envisioned doing - ever.

The noun diet, refers to "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats."  Unfortunately though, it can also refer to "a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons." The verb usually refers to the second noun definition...food restriction.

This is where I tend to have most of my issues with our societal dieting debacle.  Yes I said debacle.  "Why" you ask?  

I'll answer that with one word...sustainability.  You see, most 'diets' that people employ (whether by choice or by prescription) are typically un-sustainable, and often result in nutrient deficiency and starvation...to a degree.  They also have a tendency to result in binge eating, which can actually cause the dieter to gain back all the weight they lost...and more.  

Don't believe me?  A quick search of the literature will result in quite a large amount of evidence supporting the claim.  You see, highly restrictive and cessation-based diets often create eventual cravings for the items under high restriction, or those that the dieter has been forced to cease intake of.  Another important factor to take into consideration is the speed at which our basal metabolism adjusts to a sharp decrease in caloric intake.  When we severely limit (typically considered to be greater than 500kcal per day reduction) our caloric intake, our metabolic 'function' is reduced...basically, we are telling our body that it doesn't have to work as hard, because we are not 'stoking the fire' as much.  Our bodies quickly adapt to the new energy intake level.  A good diet takes this into account, and progressively decreases daily caloric intake to slowly and progressively 'reset' our metabolism.  Often times however, if a sound progression is not followed (drastic caloric reduction or cessation of particular food items) the body begins to crave what has been taken away, thus causing us to binge and take in more calories...often up to 5% greater than we were taking in prior to beginning our diet. 

Now think about it...these excess calories are all being consumed and thrown into the 'metabolic factory' when it is not operating at the same level as before.  This means that there are many excess calories that will not be metabolized for immediate energy...they will be stored as adipose tissue (fat) as a protective response, in case you decide to 'starve' your body again.

This doesn't happen all the time, but the research is out there...the numbers are not in our favor.

So what does this have to do with sugar?

People are confused about sugar similar to the way they are confused about 'diets' in general.  So let's take a look at some evidence-based information about sugar.  You might be surprised by what you hear...well, by what you read.

I've been asked.  I've been told.  I've witnessed individuals with no formal education in nutrition, spewing untruths about sugar to others whom may or may not have wanted their 'opinion'.  I have also witnessed others who have done their fare share of research on the subject...interpret it wrong.

So here's my opinion.  Yes...I said opinion.  If you don't want to hear my opinion, then simply exit out of this page...really, I wont be offended.  My opinion however, is based on science...the science of chemistry.  Yes, it's the same chemistry that has been used for eons, so if that means (to you) that it is old or outdated information...well, I really have nothing to say except that you might want to enroll in a chemistry class at your local college.

Sugar is sugar.  No doubt about it.  So those of you who have told me...told others...modified your diet to rid your life of sugar...guess what?  In part, you are correct.  Speaking from the chemistry perspective, sugar is sugar.  So the argument usually goes something like this...

Person #1:  "I've given up sugar in my diet, I hear it is horrible for you." 

Person #2:  "Yeah, I haven't eaten sugar for quite some time now."

Person #1:   "That's not true...I saw you eat an apple yesterday with your lunch!"

Person #2:   "Well yes...but that's natural sugar, and natural sugars (gets cut off by expert...I mean #1)

Expert...Person #1:  "Haven't you heard...your body doesn't know the difference between where the sugar came from...it just knows that you have eaten sugar...and that it's bad for you."

INSERT SOUND OF SCRATCHING RECORD HERE!!!

Unfortunately, this is the case for many people who are looking to limit or rid their diets of sugar.  If this line of thinking was really true, then what follows would be true as well.  

                                                                       IS EQUAL TO

Do you REALLY believe that?  I know there are many who do.  It's the argument of REFINED SUGARS vs NATURAL SUGARS.  

So...is the sugar in the fruit the same as the sugar in the Skittles?  Well actually, the answer is YES.

A hush falls over the room.

Chemically speaking sugar is sugar...remember?  OK, I guess we need to break down what sugar really is...that knowledge will certainly help you figure out which camp you are in...and possibly, which camp you want to join.

Whether it is in a piece of fruit, your pastry or your candy bar (or in this case your COSTCO sized bag of Skittles) sugar is made up of two components...fructose and glucose.  Some fruits...depending on the variety are made up of sucrose.  The chemical structure of sucrose is C12 H22 O11, and found naturally in sugarcane, sugar beets, and sorghum.  

Here's what many sugar haters fail to understand, or at least recognize.  Refined sugars, such as table sugar, brown sugar, etc. have undergone a process, hence the term refined, that has stripped the sugar 'host' of its nutrients and vitamins.  Refined sugar is still sugar...it is made up of a 50-50 ratio of glucose and fructose.  Most fruit, with the exception of apples, pears, and cranberries, are roughly 40-55% fructose.  The main difference between a refined product like table sugar is that it has zero nutritional value.

So...is one type of sugar better for you than the other?  Nope...not really.

Right now my sugar haters are relishing in the fact that they are the same...and saying "See, I told you so!"  

Hang tight haters...this lesson is not over just yet.

While neither type of sugar is really better or worse than the other, the body does process them differently.  Yep.  So...semantically speaking...they are not really the same.

Research has shown fructose to break down in the liver, thereby not creating an insulin response from the pancreas.  Glucose on the other hand, begins to break down within the stomach, and requires insulin to be metabolized completely.  So you see, there are some differences from sugar to sugar, and how our body reacts to, and metabolizes the sweet goodness...I mean evil...never mind.

So back to the pictures above...

The sugar composition between the two is essentially the same, right?  Yes.  That doesn't mean that they are interchangeable however.  Nor does it mean that eliminating sugar from your diet is healthy...if that process includes the removal of fruit.

This is strictly my opinion, but I would bet that no person EVER became a diabetic because he or she ate too much fruit.  How can I make that assumption?  Because of the nutrient density of fruit compared to the lack-thereof in refined sugar products....like those tasty little Skittles shown above.

In addition to vitamins and nutrients, fruit offers a degree of hydration (unless the fruit is of the dehydrated variety) due to it's water content.  Skittles?  Not so much.  Fruit also offers a host of antioxidants that help combat the onslaught of free radicals that we face each and every day of our lives.  Fruit also contains less sugar by volume than that of refined sugar products like candy, cake, and pies.  For example, one-half cup of fresh strawberries contains roughly 3.5 grams of sugar.  Strawberry ice cream, on the other hand, contains roughly fifteen grams of sugar.  

Fruits also contain fiber...oh yeah, that's right.  Fiber is healthy huh?  Fiber provides the feeling of satiety or fullness which helps to regulate just how much good we consume.  Yep, God was thinking when he created whole foods (WE created processed foods).  He put all kinds of good stuff into them that actually perform so many different functions...yep, even evil fruit!

Let's talk a little more about fiber for a moment.  Not only does fiber work to naturally limit the amount of food we eat, it also slows the uptake of glucose...helping to prevent the insulin spike caused by a large sugar bolus entering our bloodstream.  So...one could infer that fiber helps to reduce the likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes, by preventing the pancreas from being overworked, and eventually shutting down.  

Now let's talk about something that most people have never heard of.  The restorative properties of fruits and veggies.  That's right...restorative.

Much research has been conducted regarding the role of the anti-oxidant and phyto-nutrient rich colors and pigments contained in vegetables...and fruits.  A great deal of this research has been done by a close friend and colleague of mine - Patti Milligan M.S. R.D. CNS.  Patti serves as the Director of Nutrition for TIGNUM Institute for Sustainable High Performance

According to Patti, research in the last 10 years has revealed that the most potent and active constituents in foods are not the vitamins/minerals but are, in fact, the compounds that give food their color.  So truly "eating the colors of the rainbow" offers the body a host of phyto-nutrients that are biologically active and can regenerate, restore and offer support to optimal organ function.

So you see, if you remove fruits from your diet because you are afraid of the sugar content, you are losing out on a lot of healthy benefits.  My recommendation, and the recommendation of experts in the field of nutrition...minimize the amount of refined sugars in your diet, and focus on high fiber, nutrient dense, anti-oxidant and phyto-nutrient rich whole foods...including fruit!

Until next time...

Eat your fruits!