What is sugar from a nutritional point of view?

Sugar, also known as sucrose, is a member of the glucides family. Together with lipids and amino-acids, it constitutes one of the three groups of nutrients that are vital to the human body. Glucides supply the energy required for the operation of the body. Simple glucides (glucose, fructose, lactose) contained in fruits and milk, have a characteristically sweet taste, unlike complex glucides (e.g. starch).

Is sugar bad for one’s diet?

When consumed in reasonable quantities, sugar is not fattening. Indeed, a sugar cube only contains some 28 kilo calories. It is the frequent overeating of sugar that can cause people to pile on the pounds. People need to control their feeding habits in order to balance the impulse of a sweet tooth with their actual needs.

A balanced diet consists of 30-35% lipids, 10 to 15% protein and 50 to 55% glucides.

Why do I like sugar so much?

Our sense of taste comprises four basic components known as ‘fundamental tastes’: sweet, salty, bitter and acid. From the earliest age, babies demonstrate a particular predilection for sweet milk, with which they associate the notion of pleasure. This predilection, which varies from person to person and depending on a subject’s social and cultural background, is reinforced by sugar’s sweetening effect, which imparts a sweet taste to many foods, thus heightening their taste. Indeed, for a long time, sugar was considered as a spice.

Is sugar bad for my teeth?

The organic acid which causes cavities is generated by bacteria that feed on and process glucides in our mouths. Saliva usually plays an important role in neutralising this acid. But it cannot block the cavity generation process outright. The development of cavities depends more on the total amount of time during which glucides come in contact with the dental plaque than on the actual quantity of sweet foods ingested. Hence the need to brush one’s teeth regularly!

What is glycemia?

Glycemia is the scientific word for the level of sugar in the blood. Measured on an empty stomach, it usually varies between 0.8 g/l and 1.1 g/l. When sugar derived from the food you’ve eaten passes into the blood stream in the form of glucose, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin which cells then use to break up and consume the glucose. Insulin also regulates the storage of sugar in the liver and the muscles in the form of glycogens. If the blood sugar level drops sharply, the liver secretes another hormone, glucagone, which frees the stored sugar to supply the cells with energy, whereas the sugar stored in the muscles is consumed in situ. Thus the blood sugar level is constantly regulated.

Can diabetics eat sugar?

There are two distinct forms of diabetes: insulin-dependent diabetes and so-called ‘maturity onset’ diabetes. Insulin-dependent diabetes is a genetic disease of the pancreas. Scientists have recently discovered that sugar was not directly related to the onset of this type of diabetes.‘Maturity onset diabetes’ affects people of a certain age who are overweight. In their case, the level of sugar in the blood is deregulated owing to a malfunction of the pancreas. This form of diabetes can be kept under control by adopting a suitable diet.

What is the difference between slow and fast-absorption sugars?

Slow and fast-absorption sugars owe their different characteristics to the way their molecules are organised. Slow absorption sugars (such as those found in rice, pasta or potatoes) consist of complex molecular chains which must be broken down into glucose by digestive enzymes before reaching the blood stream.
Conversely, fast-absorption sugars have a molecular structure which requires less complex processing. They consist of small molecules which are able to release glucose into the blood faster. Examples of foods containing fast-absorption sugars include honey, sugar, and usually all sugary foods.

Do athletes need sugar?

Athletes take great care in priming their bodies for physical activity, and tend to balance their intake of slow and fast absorption sugars, known as the ultimate source of energy. Whereas slow-absorption sugars are recommended as part of the diet of an athlete prior to a sporting event, fast-absorption sugars are recommended during the physical effort stage itself.