IS IT TRUE A DIABETIC CANNOT TAKE SUGAR?

Health Corner

Many of us especially the diabetics are scared with the word of “sugar”. But do you know that sugar is playing a bigggg role in our body functions? We need sugar for our brain to think to work and to do its function. In estimate our brain needs about 130mg of sugar (glucose) daily.

Everyone needs sugar including the diabetics. The sentiments played in our society and media sometimes were misleading and cause misconception about sugar. This sentiment also making the diabetic patients to feel scared to take sugar in their diets. The truth is even a diabetic needs sugar for their body! And of course with incorporation of high nutrition meals and balanced diet. The key is to take a variety of food.

Get to know your sugar

But of course we cannot blame them. When we mention “sugar” many will think sugar that we use to make drink or cooking. That is called table sugar or white sugar. This white sugar is called “sucrose”. Sugar has many type depending on their chemical structure. Sugar can be found in a variety of food such as fruits vegetable and milk product. Sugar is divided into monosaccharide disaccharide and polysaccharide.

Monosaccharide

– A simple type of sugar

– Example: glucose fructose galactose

– Source:

Glucose: Glucose is a result after the body break down the carbohydrate (eg. rice)

Fructose: Commonly found in fruits vegetables and honey

Galactose: Commonly found in milk and dairy food

Disaccharide

– A combination of 2 of the monosaccharides

– Example: sucrose maltose lactose

– Source:

Sucrose: It is known as table sugar or white sugar. Naturally found in fruits and vegetables

such as sugar cane.

Maltose: Commonly found in molasses

Galactose: Commonly found in milk and dairy products

Polysaccharide

– A combination of more than 2 monosaccharide

– Example: fiber and starch

– Source: Grains vegetables and potatoes

So which sugar is recommended?

In short monosaccharide such as glucose fructose and galactose it is normally use in the body as an instance energy booster. However it is not recommended for diabetic patients to consume it directly unless for some special reason (fatigue hypoglycemia etc). Same goes to disaccharide maltose and sucrose also not recommended for diabetic patients because it will straight away spike up the blood sugar level. The most recommended for diabetics is polysaccharide which is fiber and starch. This is due to the mechanism of the sugar release as a by product. In the body polysaccharide will undergo metabolism process that eventually will break it down to simple sugar (glucose) slowly and steadily. Hence it won’t cause a sudden spike to blood sugar level unlike the other types of sugar. This is why it is safe for diabetic patients.

Bottom line make sure you know the kind of sugar you are taking as it will affect the blood sugar level in your body. Further information about sugar and diabetics will be discussed in our next article!  

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