Cairo Dining Articles - The Sweet Stuff

The Sweet Stuff

Too much sugar is bad for you but, in moderation, you can still enjoy the occasional treat!

Despite the myths, not all sugar is bad for you. It can be a swift and excellent source of energy. Sugar that is found in nature, such as fructose (fruit sugar) is usually bound with a variety of other nutrients. This means that the body does not absorb the sugars too quickly because they are harder to digest. Refined sugar, however, is less beneficial because it has been stripped of its nutrients, so the glucose is absorbed rapidly, providing a short and intense burst of energy resulting in an increased amount of sugar in the blood, which can impair the body from controlling fluctuations in blood pressure. Refined sugar has also been linked to heart disease, gallbladder problems and some forms of cancer.

However, refined sugar doesn't necessarily deserve the bad press that it gets. All starchy foods, such as bread and potatoes, are eventually broken down into sugars and your body can't tell whether the energy comes from carbohydrates or from refined sugar. This includes sugar substitutes, such a honey and molasses, making these in particular no more healthier than refined sugar. So, if you diet is high in carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will, by definition, be high. The level of added sugars in your foods have been proven not to be the contributing factor towards whether or not you'll suffer from fluctuating blood pressure; rather it is the Glycaemic Index (GI) of your food is the determiner. Wholemeal bread, for example, has a high GI (around 70) and raises the blood sugar level nearly as fast (or faster) than a chocolate bar (a Mars Bar has a GI of 68). By contrast apples, oranges and milk have relatively low GI (less than 50), even though they are rich in sugars. Additionally, eating high levels of refined foods such as white bread and rice, which have a high GI, is thought to lead to a higher risk of diabetes later on in life. So if you are prone to fluctuating blood pressure and are worried about developing diabetes, avoid eating foods that have a high GI by themselves and have small meals at regular intervals.

Artificial sweeteners may seem like a blessing for dieters but, most doctors will agree, as well as having no nutritional value whatsoever, they may be detrimental to your health. Saccharin, which is 300 times sweeter than sucrose, is a chemical derived from petroleum, whereas Acesulfame-K is made from sulphur and nitrogen. At the very least some forms, such as Sorbitol and Xylitol, have a tendency to cause flatulence and aggravate Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Types of Sugars

Glucose: The simplest form of sugar, made up of a single molecule. Has the fastest absorption rate and can be found in certain fruits, such as grapes.
Fructose: A simple sugar found in fruit. It has roughly the same number of calories as sucrose but is twice as sweet so you only need half the amount (thus cutting calories). It is absorbed into the blood at a slower rate than sucrose as the body has to first convert it into glucose.
Sucrose: Made up of the two molecules of glucose and fructose. Refined sugar is 99.9% sucrose.