Information on Sugar

The complex carbohydrates found in vegetables, grains, and fruits are good for you; the simple sugars found in sodas, candies, icings, and packaged treats can do harm, at least when eaten in excess. It’s as simple as that. Here’s why: Excess sugar depresses immunity.

Studies have shown that downing 75 to 100 grams of a sugar solution (about 20 teaspoons of sugar, or the amount that is contained in two average 12-ounce sodas) can suppress the body’s immune responses. Simple sugars, including glucose, table sugar, and fructose caused a fifty- percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. In contrast, ingesting a complex carbohydrate solution (starch) did not lower the ability of these white blood cells to engulf bacteria. The immune suppression was most noticeable two hours post-ingestion, but the effect was still evident five hours after ingestion. This research has practical implications, especially for teens and college students who tend to overdose on sodas containing caffeine and sugar while studying for exams or during periods of stress. Stress also suppresses immunity, so these sugar-users are setting themselves up to get sick at a time when they need to be well.

An overdose of sugar. Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of two- and-a-half 12-ounce cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40 percent. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. In contrast, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates, or starches, has no effect on the immune system.

Sugar sours behavior, attention, and learning. Studies of the effects of sugar on children’s behavior are as wildly contradictory as a sugar-crazed four-year-old after a birthday party, but the general consensus is that some children and adults are sugar-sensitive, meaning their behavior, attention span, and learning ability deteriorate in proportion to the amount of junk sugar they consume.

Sugar promotes sugar highs. Some persons are more sugar sensitive than others, and children may be more sensitive than adults. A study comparing the sugar response in children and adults showed that the adrenaline levels in children remained ten times higher than normal for up to five hours after a test dose of sugar. Studies have also shown that some children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) react to glucose intolerance tests with a dip to low blood sugar levels. High adrenaline levels or low blood sugar levels produce abnormal behavior.

BLOATING SUGARS

Some fruits contain the sugar sorbitol, which if consumed in excess can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. The fruit highest in sorbitol is the prune (thus the laxative effect), followed by pears, then cherries. Peaches and apples contain a tiny bit of sorbitol. Some candies are sweetened with sorbitol. Citrus fruits contain no sorbitol.

GLYCEMIC INDEX RATINGS (lowest to highest)

The glycemic index is the relative rate of blood sugar rising when a given food is compared with glucose, which has a glycemic index of 100.

1. soybeans (15)
2. fructose (20)
3. cherries (23)
4. grapefruit (26)
5. kidney beans (29)
6. lentils (29)
7. milk (34)
8. yogurt (36)
9. chickpeas (36)
10. apples (39)
11. spaghetti (42)
12. grapes (45)
13. oranges (46)
14. sweet potatoes (48)
15. All-Bran (51)
16. oatmeal (54)
17. corn (59)
18. table sugar (sucrose) (59)
19. bananas (62)
20. raisins (64)
21. soft drinks (68)
22. bread, white (69)
23. potatoes (70)
24. candy bar (70)
25. bread, whole wheat (72)
26. white rice (72)
27. refined cereals (80)
28. honey (87)
29. carrots (92)
30. glucose (100)