By Gabe Sanders Ph.D., NSCA-CSCS
Have you ever heard the phrase, “all sugars or all carbohydrates are the same?” Or perhaps you have heard the phrase, “a calorie is a calorie.
Well, nothing could be further from the truth
You see, 100 calories from protein will have a significantly different effect on your body than 100 calories from sugar. In fact, different types of sugar will have differing effects on your body. Natural sugar, found directly from sugar cane (sucrose) or fruit (fructose), is one of the purest forms of sugar.
Natural sugar is ok in moderation but large amounts can have deleterious effects on the body. Moreover, processed, high fructose corn syrup may be the worst type of sugar a person can consume. Some medical experts relate sugar to cocaine in the way it has addictive effects on the brain in humans and in animals and this notion is supported by research.
Perhaps you are wondering which foods you consume contain high amounts of fructose corn syrup and the answer is pretty simple, most processed foods, candies, and sugar-infused drinks. Foods like candy, candy bars, regular soda pop, sports drinks, juices, fast food, condiments (ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.), premade foods and breakfast foods, most bread, crackers, chips, and the list goes on. As a whole, most people who are not health conscious, consume a diet that consists of mostly high fructose corn syrup. In summary, it is a vast amount of the American population.
High fructose corn syrup is bad for several reasons
First, it is rapidly digested, which quickly increases insulin secretions and then excessive amounts are rapidly stored as fat in the body. Research has also found that foods containing high fructose corn syrup do little to help curb or eliminate appetite. People often feel hungrier and crave more sugary foods after eating sugary foods. People often want more soda pop or candy after they have a few bites of candy or consume a sugary drink.
Over time, the constant ingestion of sugar leads to total body inflammation that affects your muscle, organs, and blood vessels and can result in brain fog. The inflammation reduction is noticeable once you eliminate all sugar from your diet and drink plenty of water. More often than not, a person can visibly notice their face is slimmer, healthier-looking and their weight on the scale will be noticeably lower. This immediate change is due to water weight loss as sugar retains water at high levels.
Article’s Sources
Rizkalla, Salwa W. “Health implications of fructose consumption: A review of recent data.” Nutrition & metabolism 7.1 (2010): 1-17.
Malik, Vasanti S., and Frank B. Hu. “Fructose and cardiometabolic health: what the evidence from sugar-sweetened beverages tells us.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 66.14 (2015): 1615-1624.
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