Sweet may not be neat

Where and when did our addiction to sugar begin? Are we born with an innate desire to gorge on Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Pixie Sticks? I am beginning to think the drive to consume sweets is greater than the innate proclivity to cheat on taxes or make fun of Paris Hilton. Actually, sugar is a wonderful energy source; however, like most pleasures, we tend to grossly over indulge. Every great virtue taken to an extreme becomes a vice. We are designed to utilize a variety of foods to fuel our bodies and, in our country where food choices are more abundant than greedy politicians, what we eat is largely our choice.
As I mentioned in a previous column, last year I had the eye-opening experience of chaperoning a group of eighth graders on a bus trip to Washington, D.C. At one of the rest stops (and they were anything but) we unloaded at a “buy everything imaginable” mini-mart. This was a mere two hours after a healthy, bountiful breakfast, and the only real reason we stopped was at the request of the coffee-aholic, micro-bladdered bus driver. We told the kids they could get a single snack, and I stood by the bus door casually observing as the kids returned. I was dumbfounded by the hoards of Doritos (trans-fat heaven), trunks of Twinkies (most likely years old as they won’t decompose under any circumstance), cadres of candy bars, and storage bins of sodas that they carried onto the bus. It would have been cheaper to have bought a ten pound bag of sugar and thirty straws!
So why is so much sugar bad for us? Let me introduce a concept to help illustrate the potential damage.
The Glycemic Index is a measurement of the effect a food has on your blood sugar level. Some high sugar foods such as maple syrup, honey, and candy, as well as foods which are "starchy" such as carrots, potatoes, and cereals are rated high on the Glycemic Index. Other foods, especially foods high in fiber such as whole-grain rye bread and bran cereal, are rated low on the Glycemic Index because they do not produce such a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin. In simple terms, when you eat high glycemic foods you will experience a substantial rise in your blood sugar level. This, in turn, raises your blood insulin level. Insulin is responsible for transporting glucose into muscle and storage cells for metabolism. Ask the average Joe or Josie what insulin does and most will reply, “It has something to do with blood sugar…right?” That’s kind of like saying, “Da Vinci…he painted pictures…right?” It is a bit more complicated than that.
Some researchers postulate that spikes in your insulin level can contribute to fat deposition. The higher and more prolonged the insulin reaction, the more likely your body is to convert sugar to fat. There are some holes in this theory; however, there is enough evidence to warrant limiting your intake of high glycemic carbohydrates. In addition, a rapid rise in insulin levels can drive the blood sugar too low, which results in hypoglycemic symptoms such as shakiness, foggy thinking, fatigue, and anxiety. A review of the current scientific literature revealed 15 out of 16 published studies found that the consumption of low-Glycemic Index foods delayed the return of hunger, decreased subsequent food intake, and increased satiety (feeling full) when compared to high-Glycemic Index foods. In addition, the results of several small short-term trials (1-4 months) suggest that low-glycemic load diets result in significantly more weight or fat loss than high-glycemic load diets. Simply stated, look for low glycemic carbohydrates and make them the staples of your daily intake. Can you safely eat high glycemic carbohydrates? Of course! Just do it in moderation.
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When it comes to sugar, the old adage “everything in moderation, nothing to excess” applies.