Eli5: Whats the difference between “processed sugar” and sugar found in fruit, bread and milk etc? arent processed sugar the same sugar molecules as those?

Question

And more specifically, what is it that makes processed sugar worse than consuming sugar from those products, is it blood sugar spike or something?

In: 311

Answer 1

Sugar is a naturally occurring organic compound. Our bodies evolved to digest these for nutrition, but once you start refining and adding it to food you get to the point where a human body doesn’t handle it well. Alcohol occurs naturally, but hard liquor from controlled fermentation is unhealthy. Your body produces opiates and hormones for healing and growth, but steroids and pain killers can cause long-term health issues and dependencies.

Refined sugars are added to foods for taste, but the extra calories are too easy to digest and stress your ability to produce insulin in the long run. Too much sugar is bad regardless of the source, famously Steve Jobs had health issues because he tried a fruitatarian diet. The problem is that sugar, like salt and fat, sneaks into everything, and it becomes too large a portion of out daily calories.