Is Sugar Bad For You? Saying Sugar Is Bad For You Is Misleading – Processed Sugar…

Is Sugar Bad For You?

Is sugar bad for you? A lot of people will say it is and viewing sugar this way is actually bad.

I felt the need to write a response to “Is sugar bad for you?” because we can limit ourselves to a very important nutrient if we don’t separate good sugar from bad sugar.

I think sometimes the literature we read can be misleading, or it can be misinterpreted by the way it is explained, or we just misunderstand.

I felt the need to write this article after I read this article “UCLA Study Reveals Sugar In Your Diet Is Lowering Your IQ” which covered the UCLA article “This is your brain on sugar: UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory.”

If you only read the title of the fist article you would get the impression that UCLA, a respected and trusted institution, developed a study which is said sugar was bad for you. Because it was UCLA many people would be like “okay” and leave it at that.

The title of the actual article by UCLA explains the content of the article a bit differently, though the teaser part of the title, “This is your brain on sugar…” could have you stuck only on that part.

The more important part of the title was, “…UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory.”

Processed Sugar Is Bad For You

The problem with sugar being bad for you is that processed and additive sugar is bad for you, as you can see from reading the UCLA article.

Too many studies have been done that show that eating high fructose corn syrup and sucrose is associated with diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver.

No, not everyone understands that the problem is with the processed sugars and eating too much of them, and much of the reason why is because of the way the message is delivered.

In this fast paced world people are selective and sometimes seek the short avenue to learning and teaching and that sometimes means skipping or omitting key parts of information.

I read this part of the article “…how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver…” Reading just this part of the sentence gives the impression that fructose is harmful. The rest of the sentence does go on to say, “…this study is the first to uncover how the sweetener influences the brain.”

Reading the sentence in context with the article you can see that the specific fructose being spoken of as harmful is the “high fructose corn syrup,” which is a processed additive sugar and it different from fructose in fruit.

Many people do not understand fructose in the proper context and also consider the fructose in fruit to be bad and they stay away from eating fruits.

Fructose In Fruit Is Not Bad For You

I was speaking with a friend today about the topic to test my experiences and assumptions that many people think sugar in fruit is bad. She confirmed my assumptions and said I should write the article.

She used her parents as an example who told her to not eat certain fruits because they have too much sugar and they were bad for her.

1 regular size orange has 12 grams of sugar compared to 39 grams of sugar in a 12oz can of coke. That is more than 3 times the amount of sugar.

While fructose in fruit is natural and is metabolized well by the body, high fructose corn syrup is not.

High fructose corn syrup is toxic to the body and is often contaminated with mercury and other chemicals used to process it.

Another issue with processed sugars like high fructose corn syrup and sucrose is that they are empty calories. This means they are stripped of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber that control its digestion in the body.

The digestion of the fructose in fruit is regulated by its accompanying nutrients that regulate how fast the sugar enters the bloodstream controlling the spike in the blood sugar level.

The additive and toxic sugar that is added to soda, candy, and junk food is stripped of these nutrients and the sugar enters the bloodstream unregulated and spikes the blood sugar level too much.

Benefits Of Fruits and Fruit Sugar

Fruits are an excellent addition to the diet. Fruits offer a lot of fiber to clean the digestive track and to regulate the digestion of sugar. Fruit fructose is a quick burning energy source so it is less likely to be stored in the body the way fat often gets stored and accumulates in the body.

Fruits are loaded with vitamins and minerals which support healthy body functioning. Fruits contains and abundance of phytonutrients and antioxidants which support the immune system and fight aging. Fruits also do not contain cholesterol and help to support a healthy heart and healthy muscle functioning.

Lets make this clear. Is fruit sugar bad for you? No, specifically processed and additive sugars like high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are the issue. Is refined sugar bad for you? Yes. Is equal sugar bad for you? Yes. These are also processed sugars and sugar alternates which introduce chemical processing that remove nutrients and change the natural makeup of fructose.

Take a look at, “What Are Good Carbs?” to get a breakdown of carbs and how they affect your body. (Sugar is a carb)

Fructose in fruit is our friend. My plant based diet consists of a lot fruits everyday and they help support my healthy living.