Food That Kills - White Sugar Can Kill
Sugar is under the family of carbohydrates in our food. Before we go on to discuss about sugar in detail, it will be nice to have a brief knowledge about carbohydrates to have a better understanding about our key subject. Carbohydrates are basically compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. There are three types of carbohydrates in our foods.
1. Monosaccharides : They are also called 'Simple Sugar'. This is the simplest form of carbohydrate and directly digestible in our system without any further breaking up into simpler compounds. It's chemical formula is C₆H₁₂O₆. There are three monosaccharides in nutrition.
i. Glucose
ii. Fructose
iii. Galactose
Glucose also known as dextrose or grape sugar is found in fruits and honey.
Fructose is known as fruit sugar and occurs naturally in many fruits and berries. It constitutes over one third of sugar in honey and is responsible for its sweetness. There are major sweeteners used in carbonated beverages.
Galactose occurs as a component of a more complex carbohydrate in milk and the seed coat of legumes. It occurs in some fermented milk.
After the assimilation in the intestines, all these monosaccharides are finally converted by liver into glucose which finally goes to body cells for giving energy. Simple sugar gets into the blood stream very quickly after being swallowed. They need very little digestion and they don't have to undergo full digestive process. Some simple sugars can be absorbed right under the tongue.
2: Disaccharides: These are also called 'Compound Sugar'. Disaccharides are made of two molecules of monosaccharides. its chemical formula is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. The most common disaccharides are i. Sucrose ii. Lactose iii. Maltose
Sucrose is the most common disaccharide also known as white sugar or cane sugar which is the main focus of our topic. One molecule of Sucrose consist of one molecule of Glucose and one molecule of Fluctose. It is obtained from both sugar canes and sugar beets. Sucrose is made up of one molecule of glucose and one molecules of fructose. What is available in the market are Boora and khand, also resemble white sugar in many respects. hence they also have the same harmful effects on body as white sugar.
Lactose is known as milk sugar and it makes up half the total solids in the milk. It promotes the growth of micro organism 'Lactobacillus Bifidus known to be beneficial to young infants. One molecule of Glucose and one molecule of Galactose. Lactose which is relatively insoluble is difficult to incorporate in solutions and hence is not practical as a sweetening agent for liquids for liquids. However it is readily assimilable by the infant and has a laxative effect. It is less sweet than the cane sugar, while giving the same amount of calories. It consist of two simple sugars, Glucose and Galactose and is broken down in the small intestine by the enzyme "Lactose".
Maltose also known as malt sugar is formed in malt (grain ferments) by the action of the enzyme amylase (present in saliva in the mouth) on starch. One molecule of maltose consist of two molecules of Glucose. It is less sweet than cane sugar but contains lime, iron and vitamins, all of which are lacking in cane sugar. It is found in sprouting grains, malted wheat, barely and malt extract.
3. Polsaccharides: They are made of many molecules of monosacchrides with the molecular formula as (C₆H₁₀O₅)n. The following foods come in the category of polysaccharides:
i. Starch
ii. Cellulose
iii. Dextrin
iv. Glycogen
Wheat, rice, maize, potatoes, peas, beans, millet, are good sources of starch. We take these foods in the form of Roti (Chapati), Bread, Noodles, Rice, Dosa, Idli, Potato items etc. Cellulose, which comes from the cell walls of plans is also a carbohydrate but is not digested or absorbed by our body because our body doesn't have enzymes for digesting cellulose. When eaten, however, cellulose acts as a roughage or fibre and helps in keeping the intestinal tract in good working order.
Glycogen is stored in our body in the liver and muscles (by conversion of excess glucose into glycogen) and is utilized during periods of excess demand of energy by again getting converted into glucose.
Harmful Effects Of Sugar In Summary
1.White sugar robs the body of vitamin B
2.White sugar affects the heart
3. Sugar depletes energy
4. Sugar is a stimulant and increases sympathetic arousal
5. Sugar causes calcium loss from the body leading to bone decay.
6. Excess sugar affects pancreas and causes diabetes
7. Sugar causes tooth decay
8. Sugar increases trglyceride level
9. Sugar undergoes fermentation
10. Sugar increases acidity of blood
11. Sugar increases constipation
12.Sugar hinders starch digestion
13. Sugar increases uric acid
As you can see the side effect of sugar in human body. To be continued.
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