Table sugar, also known as sucrose, is a simple sugar molecule. It is made up of glucose and fructose molecules in the ratio of 1:1. Sucrose is a naturally occurring sugar found in plants, while table sugar is just refined sucrose.
Sucrose is an energy molecule for plants, particularly in plant storage parts like roots, fruits, and stems. In these parts, it is the main source of food for most mammals, insects, and birds. In some fruits like pineapples, sucrose is the main sugar. In others like grapes, fructose predominates as the main sugar.
The sucrose crystals found in our food are obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets.
Table sugar; How it is made?
Table sugar is made by dissolving sugar syrup obtained from crashing sugar canes or sugar beets. These are then concentrated and crystallized. The process involves the use of several chemicals like Sulphur dioxide, calcium carbonate, and calcium hydroxide resulting in pure crystals of sucrose that are sweet and clear in color.
Swallowing sugar and your minerals
Ingestion of sugar increases the production of insulin disproportionately. It also decreases the amount of important serum minerals that are related to insulin production and how insulin works in your body. Remember that you need proper and regulated levels of Insulin hormone to control the metabolism of sugar in your body.
sugar and Zinc in diabetes
In one research where people ingested 2 grams of sucrose /kilogram in weight in a beverage, the sucrose consumption increased the urinary excretion of Zinc and Sodium1. Zinc and Sodium are very crucial mineral elements in most of the body’s metabolic processes.
Zinc specifically, is a very important component of several body enzymes that participate in the synthesis and breakdown of carbohydrates from which our body usually gets sugar. It is known to have a role in how insulin is formed and regulated.
Results from a review of research studies that reported on the mechanism of action of Zinc in the body showed that it plays an important role in the functioning of insulin-producing cells, Insulin action, and glucose uptake and control in the body. Zinc is also involved in the development and progress of diabetes and its complications2
Research and sugar
A research study published in the Journal; diabetic care 2010 which reviewed research results from several research studies, which included over 300,000 participants and over 15,000 diabetic patients, found that consumption of 1-2 servings of sugar-sweetened beverages a day increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 26% while the risk of developing metabolic syndrome increased by 20%. What this means is that you increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes more than 25 times if you consume 1-2 servings of sucrose-sweetened drinks per day.
A serving of a sugary beverage was equivalent to a 12oz can of beverage equivalent to 360mls. A 12oz can of Soda contains about 8 teaspoons of table sugar. The researchers concluded that; the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks should be limited or eliminated in order to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.3
sugar overload and your body
Intake of table sugar raises blood glucose and insulin concentrations rapidly and dramatically. This dramatic increase in glucose levels in the blood is because table sugar provides a high dietary sugar load in a short time. Our bodies were not designed to receive large amounts of sugar in short periods. Loads of sugar cause glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.
glucose intolerance
Glucose intolerance in simple terms means that your body is failing to cope with the rate at which you are pumping it with sugar molecules when this happens then the insulin you have is not enough to use up all the glucose and that is what we call insulin resistance.
Results from research that looked at larger populations showed that; consumption of a unit increase in a daily serving of sucrose-sweetened beverage was associated with a 0.06 increase in Body Mass Index(BMI) among children and 0.22kg in adults within 1 year. This means that as a child consumes sugar-sweetened drinks daily, the Body Mass Index will increase gradually until obesity sets in. Obesity is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
There is evidence that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages promotes weight gain in children and adults. Rapid weight gain leads to type 2 diabetes.
Amount of sugar matters
The general effect of sugar on the body in causing diabetes depends on the amount consumed. Research findings have demonstrated that the larger the amount of sugar in a day the higher the risk or likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
watch that sweetness
We love sweet stuff but the sweetness is bad for health. Just like poison, sugar kills faster in larger quantities than in smaller quantities.at whatever amount, eventually, it leads to disease. So enjoy your sweetness with a mind of moderation, recklessness with sweetness will cause you to suffer from type 2 diabetes.
Next time you buy a can or bottle of sugar sweetened drink remember this, and make a choice for excellent utmost health-Afya bora zaidi
References.
- Marita G. Holl, Lindsay H. Allen, Sucrose Ingestion, Insulin Response and Mineral Metabolism in Humans, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 117, Issue 7, July 1987, Pages 1229–1233.
- Ranasinghe, P., Pigera, S., Galappatthy, P., Katulanda, P., & Constantine, G. R. (2015). Zinc and diabetes mellitus: understanding molecular mechanisms and clinical implications. Daru: journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 23(1), 44.
- Malik, V. S. et al. (2010) ‘Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis, Diabetes Care, 33(11), pp. 2477–2483. DOI: 10.2337/dc10-1079.