Carbs, Sugar and Fiber ??

LIBERTY, March 8, 2010 - What is the difference between carbohydrate and sugar?

Sugar is a carbohydrate. There are 3 main sources of calories your body can use for energy: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates are your body’s favorite source of energy. There are 3 groups of carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are complex in structure and take longer to breakdown in the body. Examples include starch found in potatoes or peas.

Simple carbohydrates are fairly simple in structure and easily broken down. Table sugar and sugar in fruit are examples.

Fiber is very complex and cannot be broken down by the digestive tract. Fiber aids in weight loss and delaying sugar absorption into the bloodstream.

There are 2 types of fiber. Soluble fiber is fiber that can be dissolved in water; examples include oats and apples. Soluble fiber is not digestible; therefore, it is not absorbed by the blood stream. When mixed with liquid, it forms a gel. This gel allows the fiber to move through your intestines slowly, sweeping away excess intestinal bulk as it goes. It also binds with fatty acids in the intestines so that they are not absorbed into the blood stream, which accounts for its beneficial effects on cholesterol as well as its preventative effects against heart disease.

Another beneficial effect on the body is that soluble fiber slows the absorption of sugars from foods in the stomach and helps regulate sugar absorption. The regulated sugar absorption leads to fewer spikes in blood sugar and insulin. Eating a diet high in soluble fiber may be helpful in the prevention of diabetes and can help regulate blood sugar and insulin production in those who are already diabetic.

Insoluble fiber is fiber that cannot be dissolved in water; examples include wheat bran, strings in celery, and seeds on strawberries.

Sugar is one of three kinds of carbohydrate: starch, fiber and sugar. Sugar is found only in foods of plant origin. In food, sugar is classified as either naturally occurring or added. Naturally occurring sugars include lactose in milk, fructose in fruit, honey and vegetables and maltose in beer. Added sugars originate from corn, beets, grapes, and sugar cane, which are processed before being added to foods. The body cannot tell the difference between naturally occurring and added sugars because they are identical chemically. Although, food sources of naturally occurring sugars also provide vitamins and minerals, while foods containing added sugars provide mainly calories and very few vitamins and minerals. For this reason, the calories in added sugar are called "empty calories".

On the Nutrition Facts panel of a food label, "sugars" include both added and naturally occurring sugars; however, on the ingredient list, only added sugars are listed. Added sugars have many names including corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrins, granulated sugar, invert sugar, and concentrated fruit juice sweetener.

Why is the sugar in fruit so much healthier than processed sugar? If I eat an apple that has, say 1 gram of natural sugar vs eating 1 gram of processed white sugar, why is the sugar in the apple not as bad for me? Don't they both contribute to sugar in my blood as well as sugar on my teeth?

The difference between FRUIT sugar (fructose) and refined sugar (sucrose) is as follows.

Fruit sugar is something known as FRUCTOSE "Fructose is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into SUCROSE and GLYCOGEN. Fructose is often recommended for, and consumed by, people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia, because it has a very low Glycemic Index (GI 23) relative to cane sugar."

For further information please contact the Liberty County Office of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service by phone: 936-336-4558, Ext. 221 or 281-593-0405, Ext. 221 or come by 2103 Cos Street, Liberty, Rm. 10

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