A question about the ‘best’ sugar on my last post inspired this post. Put si…
A question about the ‘best’ sugar on my last post inspired this post.
Put simply, sugar is sugar, regardless of the source.
Sugars and sugar syrups (honey, agave, etc.) have very similar chemical structures, which means they are treated almost exactly the same when it comes to absorption.
Also, it is not necessary to completely avoid sugar. Our bodies can handle some! sometimes and small amounts is the right approach.
A few notes:
? Honey has been shown to have some antimicrobial properties, however the sugar it contains is still processed as sugar by our gut.
? There is some controversy around about whether one type of sugar – high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is any less healthy than other sugars and speculation that our bodies handle it differently to table sugar. At this time, there’s insufficient evidence to say that HFCS is any less healthy than other sugars.
? Alcohol sugars such as Xylitol, Erythritol, Sorbitol and Maltitol do have a different chemical structure which means a proportion of them pass through the small bowel (where absorption happens) into the large bowel. This can be beneficial when it comes to sugar absorption but problematic for some people as this can cause IBS symptoms.
