For example, most fruits have around 10-20g of sugar per cup of fruit. How is this sugar any different than if I were to eat a granola bar with 10g of added sugar? Or have a drink with added sugar? The USDA says to limit added sugar consumption, but says nothing about limiting regular sugar consumption. Is added sugar chemically any different from sugar found in natural foods?
In: Chemistry
When the sugar comes in the form of an unprocessed food (like the fructose in an apple, or the starch in a wheat grain) it is surrounded by fiber that slows your body’s absorption of the sugar…so you don’t get the same spike in blood sugar that you do from foods with added processed sugars (sugar, corn syrup, flour, starches, etc.) When you lose the natural fibrous part, you absorb the sugar more quickly, get a spike in blood sugar, which results in more body fat, and higher risks for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
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