Are all sugars created equal?
 

I know for LC diets, a gram of sugar is a gram of sugar regardless of the form.

What I am interested in though is for the general population is something sweetened with fructose actually better then something sweetened with sugar or corn syrup?

The reason I ask is I have a 1 year old. I wanted to get her a cereal bar for a fast snack. All the ones I've found have sugar as the first ingredient, followed by brown sugar, corn syrup and many more forms of processed sugars. Today I found one that has no processed sugars. It has some fruit juices and fruit pastes like raison. The carbs are about the same as for the ones with sugar topping the list though. So are these really better in the long run, or is it more a marketing sceme only?

I don't know about Fructose vs. Corn Syrup. Both are very bad Sugars IMHO. Now, if you were comparing Lactose to Sucrose or Corn Syrup, I would definitely say Lactose is the better choice. Here's the order [from most evil to least evil] of how I view sugars:

1) Maltodextrin
2) Dextrose
3) Grain [Corn, Brown Rice, etc...] Syrups
4) High-Fructose [HFCS, Honey, etc...] Syrups and Powdered Fructose
5) Sucrose
6) Lactose
7) Tagatose

I'll re-post what Doreen has so eloquently explained about fructose. It's in the the Hot Links! stickie in Newbies Questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we hear the word fructose, we think "fruit sugar". Sounds healthy enough. After all, fructose is the main sugar found in fruits, vegetables and honey, right?? True. But the fructose that gets added to food, even so-called "natural" food, and the white crystalline powder that is sold in bulk food and natural foods stores in definitely not natural, and does not come from fruit. It is a highly refined monosaccharide sugar, made from corn syrup or corn starch. More recently, they've discovered a way to treat white table sugar (sucrose) chemically, so that it converts part of its glucose content to fructose. This type of sugar is very cheap to produce, that's why the food industry loves it, and because it is sweeter, they can use less of it. But it is everywhere, soft drinks, "natural" juices and fruit drinks, baby food, desserts, candies .. you name it.

Fructose is readily absorbed into the cells to be used as fuel .. without requiring insulin to do so. Thus, there is no significant rise in blood sugar (the fructose is so rapidly absorbed, it doesn't stay in the blood long enough) nor insulin levels. This is what makes fructose have such a low "glycemic" value. However, your body will use the fructose for fuel first, therefore your fat-burning will be put on hold. It can and will halt ketosis.

But that's the good news... :p .. The bad news is -- the fact that fructose doesn't require insulin to enter the cell actually increases the likelihood of developing insulin resistance. Many researchers are blaming the alarming increase of type 2 diabetes in KIDS to the fact that fructose, in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is THE most commonly added sweetener in processed foods, especially the "healthy" fruit drinks.

As well, fructose is now known to increase blood lipids, in particular triglycerides. And it has been linked for years to increased risk of heart disease .... Glucose sugar binds with proteins in the body, and in the process it damages the DNA of the protein. Research has shown the link of this sugar-damage to the plaque buildup and hardening of artery walls. Fructose can bind to proteins 10 to 15 times more readily than glucose.

In Protein Power Lifeplan, the Eades discuss the dangers of fructose pp 159 - 162. As well, you might want to read this eye-opening article, written by Jack Challan, the Nutrition Reporter. I guarantee you will think twice before allowing your family to consume anything with fructose in it. ... http://www.nutritionreporter.com/fructose_dangers.html

Read and Learn. :read:

Doreen

This doesn't list fructose as an actual ingredient, so not sure if it's the refined kind disguides as a syrup. Total carb 25, fiber 2, sugars 13


I guess with all the fruit juices, pastes and powders it isn't as healthy as it makes out to be. At least expeller pressed oil means no tranfats, right?

Hi LadyBelle,

My children are all grown, but if I had children right now, I would avoid all those processed sugars in their food as well as my own. How great it would be to grow up and not be addicted to sugar thus never having to go through the ups and downs of dieting. In Atkins for Life, Dr. Atkins says children should be on this WOL too.
Chickadee

I am definately with Chickadee on this one. Being addicted to sugar in all its deadly forms are why we are all here. Any chance to spare our children this evil should be taken. Children and young adults are now being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. When we think of letting our kids eat sweets on a normal basis, we should only have to think of this to be deterred.

Strawberry filling (Fruit juice concentrate (pinapple, peach and pear) Strawberry puree, Tapioca starch, Apple powder, Pineapple juice syrup, oat flour, barley flour, date paste, rice flour, apple powder, tapioca starch, raisin juice concentrate, malted barley extract, pear powder...

All this stuff is sugar.

What you could to is make something like Knox Blocks...a really firm gelatin with half pureed strawberries and half water with the addition of protein powder and no SF Jell-o. They're pretty solid and not too messy.

Karen

Thanks Karen I may try that. I keep trying to come up with ideas that are easy to pick up finger foods for her and can keep her interest. She actually does best with just meats, veggies, and fruits. I think I push for more variety then she does :)

Fruit
 

So if you eat lots of fruit you are endangering your heart? Or are we talking just the corn-derived fructose?

Lou

I don't think alot of natural fresh, low GI fruit would be bad. I think she is more talking about the highly refined sugars from fruits. Also not all fruits are created equal sugars wise. Dried fruits such as raisons, and other fruits like bananas are full of sugars. Berries don't have such a bad sugar to nutrient ratio.

Fructose is fructose .. your liver can't tell if it came from an apple or corn syrup. The difference with whole fruit is that it comes packaged with fiber and other nutrients.

Can you have too much fruit? Yes. Fructose isn't the only type of sugar in fruits :exclm: .. they also contain other sugars as well, usually glucose and also sucrose.

Here's a chart which shows the varying amounts and types of sugar found in some fruits and vegetables.


Doreen