The latest fashion in health is to go sugar free.
People all over the world are doing it, and it is undoubtedly extremely good for you to do so! From weight issues to dental health to even mood and skin, it can help.
But the problem is; innocent sounding fruit sugar or fructose, is far more damaging than the glucose found in sugar!
Fructose and high fructose corn syrup started replacing sugar in most processed foods around 1980, when it was discovered to be sweeter and easier to mix.
As well as being now hidden in soft drinks, confectionary and sauces, fructose is also found in dried fruit, fruit, juices, maple syrup, fruit concentrate, honey and sweet wines.
Many of those new ‘healthy’ treats and snacks labeled ‘sugar free,’ may contain higher amounts of fructose.
Fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup have a few downsides: they cause more weight gain than glucose from sugar because fructose isn’t regulated in the body the same way as glucose, and on top of that fructose is invisible to our appetite regulating system that normally prevents us from over-eating calories.
With fructose being invisible to this system, we can basically eat calorie-laden fructose all day long without feeling full!
If that wasn’t bad enough, when fructose is broken down in the body it causes lots of damage to cells and excess lactate, which leads to more pain, inflammation and accelerated cell aging, all being viewed as contributing to most chronic illnesses.
So if you decide to give up sugar, also be aware of the potentially far more damaging: fructose.
Find Honor on Facebook, Twitter and watch out for her new book: A Diet in Paradise.
nutritionsciencewellness 