Sugar Shock: The Low-down on the Sweet Stuff

While there are currently no FDA recommendations for daily sugar intake, Americans are increasingly eating more and more of it (and getting heavier and heavier). Sugar occurs naturally in many foods (think fruit and dairy), but it's the added sugars that are to blame for a variety of health issues. Just to shock you a bit with numbers, roughly 36 percent of the added sugar in the typical American diet comes from foods like sodas, energy and sports drinks. Think about every teenager you know who drinks gallons of the stuff daily, and then you'll realize how we find ourselves downing the stuff even into adulthood. But beverages aren't the only source of dangerous sugars. Here's an explanation of what sugar is, why you should care, and which sugars you should actually aim to eat more of.

The Scoop

Sugar, also known as carbohydrate, is an essential macronutrient in our diet. But here's the breakdown of the three forms it comes in:

• Monosaccharides – simple sugars (includes glucose and fructose found in fruit, corn, corn syrup and honey)

• Disaccharids – complex sugars (includes sucrose, lactose and maltose, found in table sugar, milk and beer)

• Polysaccharides – complex sugars (includes starches from plant sources found in grains, legumes and vegetables)

Without getting too nerdy on you, simply stated - these sugars are metabolized in the body to create glucose, which is then further metabolized to produce loads of energy for our bodily functions, including exercise and brain function, among other things.

In case you're wondering (and I know you were), glucose is the preferred fuel source of the brain. If you've ever felt a foggy feeling when you haven't eaten enough carbs (reason #99 why you should never try a carb-free diet), that's your brain in a sugar slump. This grogginess comes from lacking this high-powered energy source called glucose. Complex carbohydrate fuel is a necessary source of non-fattening energy, regardless of what you've been told. When carbohydrates are consumed in excess amounts, on the other hand, what your body does not utilize will be converted to fat and stored in your fatty tissue. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

Why All Sugars Aren't Created Equal

Why are some sugars better than others? It makes sense to assume that simple sugars would be the optimum fuel source, particularly for your brain, because the body converts sugars into glucose. But unfortunately it's not that cut-and-dry and that logic is false. Here's why: Past theories have stated that simple sugars cause dramatic spikes in your blood glucose levels. This is the idea behind the Glycemic Index, which is a system that associates a sugar content number with each food. Many people believe that eating foods low on the Glycemic Index will keep you fuller longer, thereby decreasing your caloric intake overall.

It turns out that a teaspoon of table sugar may cause the same glycemic reaction as a potato. So why eat a potato instead of a teaspoon of sugar? Sugar is a pure substance, but it is an anti-nutrient, containing nothing of use toward building and maintaining a healthy body. A potato, on the other hand, contains fiber, vitamins and minerals, which contribute significantly to human health. The potato is the entire package while sugar is one tiny element (and a pretty insignificant one).

Carbohydrates consumed from vegetables, grains and legumes will contain many more nutrients than a teaspoon of table sugar (which contains none of these things) because their delivery system is complete. Your body will use the vitamins and minerals from a potato for dozens of cell processes, and the fiber in the food will slow down gastric emptying (a good thing!) to make you feel fuller for longer. This is the good stuff that will keep your body burning like a well-tuned, sleek and perfectly running machine.