Here’s how sugar affects the intestines, and other sugar-related issues are all that we shall be discussing in this article.
Most people know that sugar harms their teeth and increases their belly circumference.
However, it is unknown whether increased consumption can lead to significant illnesses and digestive disorders. Discover how sugar affects the intestines!
Sweets, whether gummy bears or chocolate, are a popular everyday snack for many individuals.
It is even though the snacks include a lot of sugar, which can harm our health. But what exactly occurs?
Sugar Produces Gas, Diarrhea, And Abdominal Pain
Too much sugar can disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria and fungi in the gut, causing digestion to malfunction.
When “bad” bacteria and fungus in the intestines take over, the first signs are stomach pain, diarrhea, and flatulence.
Avoid white flour and single and double sugars in favor of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Sugary foods frequently have a high-fat content, which might aggravate the symptoms. However, too little fiber and drink might slow the digestive flow and produce constipation.
Drink plenty of water, exercise, and utilize natural laxatives like prunes or flaxseed.
Here’s how each sort of sugar impacts your digestive system:
Glucose
If pure glucose enters the stomach, it is no longer necessary to be broken down there. Instead, the sugar enters the small intestine and enters the bloodstream via the intestinal mucosa.
When blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin to transport sugar into cells, which are used for energy. However, too much pure glucose hurts the intestines and the body’s sugar metabolism.
Excess sugar in the intestines can cause gas and diarrhea. It also ensures that the mucous membranes no longer receive enough protection.
Whenever there’s excessive sugar in the blood, the pancreas becomes overworked and produces an excessive amount of insulin. This can result in insulin resistance, a step toward developing diabetes.
Furthermore, the high only lasts a short time after use, followed by a drop in concentration and performance.
Galactose
This sugar functions similarly to glucose but is not broken down by insulin in the body. Therefore, it is well tolerated and has no harmful effects on the intestines.
However, consuming too much galactose in its pure form or eating too many meals containing galactose might cause diarrhea.
Those suffering from a congenital metabolic disorder lack the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, preventing the body from processing galactose.
As babies, those affected can suffer jaundice, apathy, and liver malfunction.
Fructose
Most people tolerate regular amounts of fruit sugar well. However, when a person has fructose intolerance, the absorption in the intestine is disrupted, and they cannot adequately digest the fructose.
Fructose intolerance causes flatulence and diarrhea. However, even in healthy persons, excessive fructose consumption might cause these symptoms.
It makes sense to eat low-sugar Fruit and avoid convenience foods, which frequently include cheap fructose. The latter is also because an excess of fructose might result in non-alcoholic fatty liver.
Household
Sugar because ordinary home sugar is made up of glucose and fructose, it has a substantial impact on the intestines, as previously stated for glucose and fructose.
However, if you have a sugar sensitivity to table sugar or sucrose, you will have abdominal pain, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Those impacted do not have enough of the enzyme sucrase-isomaltase, which is responsible for breaking down sugar in the small intestine.
The intestinal mucosa cannot absorb lactose in its natural form.
Lactose is then broken down by the enzyme lactase, produced by the small intestine’s mucous cells. This causes no difficulties in healthy persons.
In the case of lactose intolerance, it can no longer produce the enzyme sufficiently. Therefore the lactose remains unmodified in the large intestine. Consequently, it provides nourishment for microorganisms there.
Symptoms of waste products include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gas.
Lactose-free diets or lactase pills containing the enzyme aid in treating sugar intolerance.
Malt syrup Maltose has no recognized metabolic problems or effects on the intestines. Sugar is contained in a few meals and is only created in trace amounts after the digestion of starch.
Where Can You Find Sugar?
Refined sugar has been ingrained in the diets of Western countries.
Sugared coffee, candies as a snack, and cola instead of water – this is how many people’s days go.
Add sugar bombs concealed in dairy goods, preserves, and sauces to it.
Salty-prepared foods are increasingly containing industrial sugar.
However, sugar is not always listed as an ingredient on food labels. Common abbreviations include:
Sugar classification:
1. A. Simple sugars (monosaccharides), also known as Dextrose / Dextrose / Glucose / Glucose Syrup It is made up of Dextrose, the most well-known sugar and is known in science as glucose. Moreover, almost all foods contain it.
Slime sugar/galactose, B. Galactose, unlike glucose, does not require insulin to be processed in the cell. Blood sugar levels remain low. Milk and foods containing lactose
Fruit sugar (fructose) contains fructose, which provides natural sweetness. People who are fructose intolerant cannot consume sugar. It comes from fruits, honey, and processed foods.
2. A. Disaccharides (dual sugars), table sugar/sucrose/beet sugar/cane sugar
White table sugar comprises one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. The sugar beet provides the sugar. Sweets, convenience foods, and sweet drinks
B. lactose/milk sugar comprises one glucose molecule and one galactose molecule. Therefore, milk and processed foods include it.
C. Maltose / Malt Sugar Malt sugar is made up of two glucose molecules. We’ve got them in beer, potatoes, and pasta.
3, A. Multiple sugars (polysaccharides), Strength Sugar, contains ten or more glucose molecules. Therefore, only after splitting does it taste sweet.
Cereals, potatoes, rice, corn, and entire grains
According to studies, the average person consumes the equivalent of up to 29 sugar cubes, or around 87 grams, every day.
That is about four times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily diet of 25 grams (WHO).
These enormous numbers quickly translate into a calorie surplus, resulting in obesity and other disorders.
Other Adverse Effects of Sugar Consumption
1. Too much sugar causes insulin resistance
Insulin is generated in the pancreas and released into the bloodstream due to carbohydrate and protein consumption.
The insulin guarantees that the sugar enters the cells and is used as energy. Simple sugars enter the bloodstream and cells more quickly than polysaccharides.
When too much simple sugar is ingested regularly, such as white bread, chocolate, or gummy bears, the insulin level remains constant, leading to insulin resistance. Diabetes is the result of this.
2. Sugar Contributes To Obesity And Disease
Because refined sugar contains no vitamins, minerals, or fiber, the body must draw from its reserves.
This might result in a persistent mineral shortage, which can cause obesity and, as a result, several ailments.
3. Sugar Contributes to Bad Skin
Sweets, for example, immediately elevate blood sugar levels, stimulating oil production and causing minor inflammations that can contribute to blemishes and acne.
Furthermore, excessive sugar consumption causes tissue fibers to become saccharified, resulting in increased wrinkling.
4. Sugar Harms Our Minds
Excess sugar consumption not only harms our physical health, but it can also harm our brain and psyche.
According to a British study, those who consumed more than 67 grams of sugar daily had a higher risk of mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression.
Is Sugar Dependent?
Pure sugar has not been demonstrated to be as addictive as cocaine. Although the brain behaved similarly to cocaine use in sugar tests, no meal is as addictive as a drug.
Almost no one will eat a bag of sugar, become addicted to it, and therefore imperil their life.
The high energy content of the sugar pumps the individual up, but significant blood sugar fluctuations, headaches, and gastrointestinal difficulties can develop.
The mix of sugar and fat, on the other hand, is more intriguing. Fat is a chemical that has kept us alive for thousands of years.
Nowadays, there is a plethora of food, including high-fat items. But, on the other hand, the brain is still built to store as much body mass as possible for terrible times.
We often can’t stop eating after a piece of chocolate because of the combination of fat as a taste carrier and survivor, and sugar, which communicates to us that the food is edible and high in energy.
The entire board is rapidly covered. Many people characterize their predicament as sugar addiction and believe they will be unable to stop using them.
However, this addiction is frequently caused by significant blood sugar oscillations and a mineral and vitamin shortage.
The Amount Of Sugar Consumed Makes A Difference.
For a daily calorie consumption of 2000 kcal, the German Society for Nutrition advises roughly 50 grams of free sugar per day.
These include mono- and disaccharides added to foods by manufacturers or consumers.
Honey, syrup, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates are also included.
It makes sense to minimize high-sugar and highly processed foods to ingest less sugar. Among these are, among other things:
- Sweets
- Junk food and fast food
- Drinks with added sugar
- Pastries
- Foods manufactured in a factory
- Sauces and dips in a hurry
- Yogurt with fruits
Instead, rely on:
- Berries with low sugar content, such as B. raspberries or strawberries.
- Complex carbs, such as B, are found in whole grains, oats, potatoes, legumes, and vegetables.
- Also, a meal diary can assist you in identifying potential sugar traps.
Alternative Sweeteners: Pros and Cons
It is difficult for many people to abstain from sweets.
However, to continue enjoying coffee and other beverages with the required sweetness, we have chosen five alternative sweeteners that are better for your health and less hazardous to your body than table sugar.
Stevia: Even in small amounts, stevia has the same sweetening effect as table sugar, making it a popular plant-based sugar alternative.
At the same time, the blood sugar level remains unchanged, implying that no insulin is required. Can thus avoid chronic inflammatory illnesses
Xylitol: Xylitol, often known as birch sugar, is created entirely from vegetable raw materials. This sweetener does not affect sugar or insulin levels in the blood.
Furthermore, xylitol has a particularly beneficial influence on dental health.
However, excessive doses of this replacement are detrimental to digestion.
Excessive consumption can have a laxative effect, so you should gradually approach the individually acceptable amount.
Maple Syrup: has a lower influence on blood sugar levels than table sugar, making it an excellent substitute.
However, the syrup has a distinct malt flavor, which means it cannot be used as a sugar substitute in all recipes.
Honey: Is composed of around 80% glucose and 20% fructose.
The rest is water, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B and C. However, to have any health benefits must ingest the honey in huge quantities.
However, honey comprises approximately 300 kcal per 100 g, but home sugar has 400 kcal.
Furthermore, honey has an antibacterial impact, which has been demonstrated in trials to be more effective than antibiotics.
Aspartame: Contains no calories and is nearly 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Because the claim that aspartame is hazardous to health has been debunked, it is safe to use to sweeten food and beverages.
It is nearly hard to exceed the maximum quantity with a well-balanced diet.
Those who wish to keep track of the number of calories and carbohydrates they take into their bodies in order to assist their bodies in maintaining peak energy levels throughout the day will find that one of the most interesting challenges they face is trying to find the right combinations of nutritious foods that fit their lifestyle and their personal preferences.
