The first sugar, began to receive for several thousand years before our era, in India. He was made from sugar cane. For a long time, it was the only sugar known to people. So far, in 1747 the German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggrave did not report on the possibility of receiving sugar from beetroot at a meeting of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. However, industrial production of beet sugar began only in 1801, and this was a revolution in the food industry. Since, since that time, the sugar has become more and more accessible, sweets from rare delicacies have gradually passed into the category of everyday food. The sad fruits of this are well known to all of us - dental disease and obesity have become a real problem in the modern world.
What is sugar?
Sugar is almost in its pure form sucrose - carbohydrate, which in our body is split into glucose and fructose and refers to "fast" carbohydrates. Glycemic index of sugar is 100. Sugar is pure energy, neither harm, nor benefit, as such, it does not carry in itself. Problems begin when we get more energy than we can recycle. Consider what happens when sugar enters our body. Splitting of sucrose occurs in the small intestine, from where monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) enter the blood. Then the liver, in which the glucose is transferred to glycogen - the energy reserve on a "rainy day", which is easily recycled into glucose, is then taken for the case. If, the amount of sugars exceeds the necessary maximum, which can be converted into glycogen, then insulin starts to work, transferring sugar to the fat stores of the body. And to spend fat, our organism as does not like, from here - excess weight, adiposity. In addition, if there is too much sugar from the food, then the sensitivity of the cells to insulin decreases, i.e. he can no longer transport excess glucose to the cells, which leads to a persistent increase in blood sugar levels, and subsequently may result in type 2 diabetes.
But the lack of carbohydrates is also harmful. The organism needs to take energy from somewhere. Therefore, it is appropriate, probably, not to talk about the harm or benefit of sugar, as such, but about its reasonable consumption.
Fruit sugar - good and bad
Fruit sugar, or fructose - is a close relative of glucose, but unlike it, does not require insulin for its processing, so it can be used in diabetic patients. However, despite the fact that fructose can also be processed into fat, it does not cause a sense of satiety, so it can contribute to the development of obesity. Contains fructose, not only in sugar, but in many fruits, thanks to which, and got its name.
Grape sugar is good and bad
Grape sugar is called glucose. This is the main carbohydrate, which participates in the energy metabolism of the human body. Benefits and harm of grape sugar slightly vary from the usual sugar. Harm is caused by the possibility of caries and fermentation processes, which can disrupt the microflora.
Cane sugar is good and bad
The first sugar known to mankind. It is extracted from sugar cane. In its composition, almost identical to beet sugar and contains up to 99% percent sucrose. The properties of such a sugar are similar to those related to beetroot.
Palm sugar is good and bad
It is obtained by drying the juice of date, coconut or sugar palm. It is an unrefined product, therefore it is considered a healthier alternative to traditional sorts of sugar. If we compare this sugar with other species, then we can say that it is harmless.