Why Does The Body Need Sugar?

Harmful and even dangerous for health - but still tasty! This conflict clearly describes our attitude towards sugar . At the biochemical level, modern nutritionists compare the mechanism of sugar 's effect on the body to drug addiction. At the same time, it is precisely those who strictly limit their diet with carbohydrate-free diets (with zero sugar content ) that most often break down and constantly lose in this struggle. Why so? Everything is simple - sugar is vital for the functioning of our body and brain - you just need to remember in what form and in what quantity it can be consumed.

The most available source of energy

Our cells constantly need sugar , or rather - glucose , one of the varieties. Glucose molecules serve as the most effective fuel - a source of heat and energy that ensures the normal functioning of all life processes. In principle, the main purpose of our nutrition, digestion, assimilation and metabolism is to provide the cells of the body with a continuous supply of glucose - in the required amount and throughout the day.

An important point: glucose is not only found in desserts, candies and buns. Our body is able to remove it from almost all food products - mainly carbohydrates , fats and proteins. With the help of digestive enzymes, a variety of food is broken down into simple molecules: amino acids, fatty acids, glucose . In this form, useful substances are absorbed, and the blood supplies them to every cell of the body. Next (ideally), the main volume of glucose is burned by the body as fuel, and a small reserve is deposited in the liver and muscles just in case, as a strategic reserve. We use up glucose, when we make physical and intellectual efforts (the brain needs a lot of energy to process information and make decisions), and when its level in the blood decreases, the body has 2 options: to eat something again or (which it does not like very much) to switch on the use of energy from fat reserves.

A real pleasure

Our body takes care of preserving and replenishing its energy reserve - its survival depends on this direction. That is why he reacts with a sharp feeling of pleasure, even euphoria, when he receives products that contain sugar in a concentrated form . This explains its narcotic effect: a shock dose of glucose causes the release of serotonin and a surge of strength, however, they then drop just as sharply, provoking stress and an irresistible desire to eat something sweet again and again. Simply put, we need sugar to feel satisfied and happy - provided that its abuse does not shake the carbohydrate metabolism, and with it, our emotions.

Ambulance

Ordinary sand or white refined cubes, which we used to call the word sugar , consist of sucrose. This is the most common, but far from the only, type of so-called fast carbohydrates , which enter the blood almost instantly, causing a sharp jump in the level of glucose (in other words, the products containing them have a high glycemic index - more than 55). Sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, etc. - a family of simple sugars , it is dangerous to consume them in large quantities and in their pure form. Emergency doping in the form of a large spoonful of honey, candy or a cup of sweet tea is justified only if the glucose reservecompletely exhausted: there is no strength, the eyes darken, the head is dizzy, the hands and feet are cold and trembling, the body is on the verge of losing consciousness. Such emergency help will allow you to recover, for example, if you are in a rush at work and you completely forgot about food - but force majeure does not threaten if there is a sufficient amount of complex or slow carbohydrates in the diet .