It Causes as Much Harm as Alcohol... Consume Its Natural Form
Carbohydrates, one of the fundamental food groups, help the body absorb and digest other nutrients and quickly meet the body's energy needs — this is one of the group's key characteristics. However, it should not be forgotten that what we should be consuming are natural carbohydrates. Fructose, known as fruit sugar, is also a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are divided into three groups:
Simple Sugars (Monosaccharides): Grape sugar (glucose), fruit sugar (fructose), a six-carbon sugar (galactose)
Double Sugars (Disaccharides): Milk sugar (lactose), table sugar (sucrose), malt sugar (maltose)
Multiple Sugars (Polysaccharides): Starch (the storage carbohydrate found in plants), glycogen (the storage carbohydrate in muscle and liver), cellulose (the fibrous, roughage structure found in plants)
Glucose: Glucose, a simple sugar, is one of the most important carbohydrates for life and is the body's primary source of energy. It is, in other words, the usable form of energy — or sugar — for the cell.
The brain and red blood cells use only glucose for energy. Glucose circulates freely in the blood. Among foods, glucose is found most abundantly in grapes and honey. Every type of sugar must be converted into glucose in order to be absorbed and used. Sugar that cannot be converted into glucose tends to be converted into fat and stored.
THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL
Fructose: Fructose is found in fruits and is known as “fruit sugar.” Honey, molasses, grapes, tree fruits, the melon and watermelon family, and berries all contain abundant fructose. However, fructose is found not only in fruit but particularly in certain root vegetables as well. It is a natural sugar found in varying amounts in every fruit and vegetable. It is stored more slowly than glucose. In particular, when equal amounts of fructose and glucose are consumed, blood sugar levels rise faster in those who consume glucose.
There are two commonly used types of fructose: crystalline fructose and corn syrup. These two types of fructose are often mistakenly assumed to be the same product. Crystalline fructose is a product made from a fructose-rich type of corn syrup and contains only fructose — it is a monosaccharide — whereas high-fructose corn syrup is a disaccharide obtained by mixing glucose and fructose.
Fructose is a sugar that is frequently claimed to cause, or be capable of causing, health problems. The liver has a tendency to constantly convert fructose into fat. In addition, fructose produces effects in the human body similar to the damage caused by alcohol products.
Lactose: Milk sugar, a sugar of animal origin. It is also found in human breast milk.
Sucrose: Known as table sugar. In the production of pure sucrose, the juice extracted from sugarcane and sugar beet is purified. Water is then added to increase the concentration, and the final product is 99.9% pure sucrose. From this final product, cube sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar is then produced.
Starch: Starch is a carbohydrate found in plants, in fruit, seeds, rhizomes and tuberous roots. It is the plant's energy store and is made up of a combination of many glucose molecules. It takes longer to digest. In our country, the main sources of starch are wheat, rice, potato and corn. Bread is an important source of starch and is made from wheat flour. Legumes (fava beans, lentils, chickpeas) are also rich in starch.
Glycogen: The stored form of carbohydrate in the human and animal body. Glycogen is found mostly in the liver and muscles. It is a reserve energy store that can be used immediately when needed. Glycogen is converted into glucose to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) — that is, to generate energy. When carbohydrates are stored as glycogen, 1 gram of glycogen retains 3 cc of water. This is one of the important reasons for the edema and cellulite formation associated with excessive carbohydrate consumption.
Cellulose: Found in plant structures. It is the indigestible portion of food, known as roughage. Our daily diet contains 10-15 grams of cellulose. About half of the cellulose taken in orally is excreted in the stool. Fruits and vegetables eaten raw and with their skin, along with whole-grain products, are foods rich in cellulose. They have no energy value, but they provide the roughage necessary for regular bowel movement.
All carbohydrates are converted into glucose to produce energy. Unused excess carbohydrate is stored in the body as fat. The best carbohydrates are found in vegetables, fruit and unrefined grains. Healthy natural carbohydrates include honey, molasses and raisins, while unsuitable carbohydrates are refined (white) sugar, white flour and its products.
You can find more information on this and related topics in my book “Beautiful, Happy and Healthy.”
Hüseyin Nazlıkul