There is an endless debate about whether sugar is good or bad for you. Experts have written long articles about which sugars are good and which aren’t. But the one thing which everybody agrees on is that sugar, in large doses can cause a lot of harm.
That being said, sugar is essential to our overall health and wellbeing. It is a simple carbohydrate that converts to glucose inside the body and gives us the energy to seize the day.
But before you add an extra spoon of sugar to your morning cup of caffeine, you should know that the source of sugar is what determines whether your body gains nutrition from it or disease-causing toxins.
Here’s everything you need to know about natural fruit sugar vs processed sugar.
Fruits are a lot more than just sugar
Natural sugars found in fruits and fresh fruit juices are known as fructose. Fructose breaks down in our systems and gives us the energy we need to get going. But unlike refined sugars, fruits also contain fibres, water and vitamins, which add nutrients to our body, nourishing us from inside and out.
Fruits keep you fuller for longer
Fruits are very filling and break down slowly in the system. Thus, keeping us satiated for a longer time.
Compare fruits to a biscuit with refined sugar, a cracker with a bit of glucose or even a banana muffin, which has added sweeteners. Products that contain refined sugars are incapable of keeping you fuller for as long as say, a fresh, crunchy apple or an apple juice blend.
Fruits keep diseases at bay
Consuming any sugar in large doses can be very harmful to the body, especially the liver, which is tasked with breaking down and metabolising the sugars. When the liver is overworked with sugar substitutes, trouble starts to brew, and diseases start creeping in.
Unlike cakes and cookies, which contain at least 40 grams of sugar per serving, and have no nutritional value, fruits, even the ones with higher sugar contents like a banana, contain 5-10 grams of sugar per serving.
In the long run, fruits thus help us thwart diseases like diabetes, cancer, cholesterol and even keep obesity at bay.
Minerals and antioxidants
Fruits are a whole lot more than sugar (even if it is the good kind). Fruits also contain fibre, which reduces cholesterol levels. Consuming raw fruits or fruits in the form of cold extracted juices allows you to avail all the natural nutrients in fruits, including fibre. They’re also high in minerals and vitamins such as Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium and folate.