(Why) is sugar worse than other carbs? page

[Sonnenblume]

Considering that primal doesn`t necessarily mean "low carb" - what makes sugar so much frowned upon? I am pretty aware that it is "empty calories" but that applies to white rice as well and white rice is widely accepted. I am also aware that fructose is a controversial issue but there are "sugars" like rice syrup, that are 100% gluccose, 0% fructose...And from what I think I have learned the glycemic issue/load is of little value. I do not seek motivation to stuff myself with sugar, I just would like to learn what makes "sugar" diffferent from other carbs that eventually turn to "sugar"!

[loafingcactus]

I think there is a certain amount of "good food / bad good" hysteria around sugar. Sugar is the devil, agave is the angel. Or whatever.

I agree with all the points you make. Sugar isnt very different from white rice or any other complex carb. The only difference is that it spikes your blood glucose level higher and faster. That's why all carbs need to be monitored and calculated to a reason-based goal. In my case, as an obese diabetic, that's a pretty low goal. Other people have different goal levels.

[dwkdnvr]

Sugar is 50% fructose, which is metabolized by the body along a completely different path than the glucose in starchy foods (potato, rice etc). It's the fructose that is the problem.

[Bishop]

Sugar is 50% fructose, which is metabolized by the body along a completely different path than the glucose in starchy foods (potato, rice etc). It's the fructose that is the problem.

Which makes agave nectar most definitely NOT an angel.

[wildwabbit]

Yes, the glucose part of sugar isn't ultimately any more worse than starches from rice or potato, it amounts to the same thing and the body can use them.

Sugar is considered evil due to fructose. But then, most fruits have fairly equivalent amounts of glucose to fructose (as separate sugars, not combined together as sucrose such as like table sugar).

Personally I am beginning to think sugar in quantities that still fall under low-carb or very-low-carb are not bad for people. Its the excess that exists in most people's diets (i.e. the standard american diet) that is harmful.

[Hunt3R]

Fructose is essentially treated as a poison by the human body and depending on what type of sugar you eat it's a mix of glucose and fructose. Because fructose is shunted straight to the liver to try to get rid of it, it doesn't immediately affect blood glucose, hence the reason agave appears to be a "better" sugar because it's like 90% fructose. Starches are 100% glucose. A small glucose intake daily could be beneficial to prevent your liver from having to convert too much glucose from protein. The Perfect Health Diet has a lot of good info on this if you want to know more in depth.

[erikJ]

Watch this.

[brahnamin]

Watch this.

Seriously. Watch it. It's worth an hour out of your day if you really want to understand what your body does with sucrose, fructose, glucose and all the other happy little oses.

Plus the guy is fairly entertaining and engaging, so it's not a dry or boring presentation by any means.

[chima_p]

Personally I am beginning to think sugar in quantities that still fall under low-carb or very-low-carb are not bad for people. Its the excess that exists in most people's diets (i.e. the standard american diet) that is harmful.

Exactly. Context is important.

Table sugar is concentrated form of glucose/fructose and has no real nutrional value. Lumping in fruit as sugar is somewhat unfair. You would have to eat 2 1/2 apples to equal 1 can of coke or 4 tbs of icing. Now how many apples are in a Big Gulp or that "serving" of cake? When you "avoid sugar" you are avoiding Big Gulps and cake not apples(unless you are really metabolically screwed then perhaps even apples are to much). So when you are "avoiding sugar" a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee or a banana after a workout is not going to harm most people who are living Primally.

[Lily Marie]

A major problem is that sugar is like crack to most people and it leads to over consumption of foods that you wouldn't regularly eat that much of.
Why do you add sugar to things? To make them taste better. When something tastes better, you eat more of it. It throws off your natural gauge of satiety.

The same goes for salt. Although, I've noticed that by using real sea salt that isn't bleached or processed - I don't want to salt my food as much. I think it may be due to getting the correct minerals and such.