Sugar

[HippyChick]

Do we need sugar?

I was talking about this with my husband and neither of us knew, does our bodies NEED sugar? Sure we like it but do we need it?

I said to him I know, I'll ask the lovely people at diabetic support, they will know

 

[Northerner]

I would say that, since sugar was a luxury food until comparatively recently, we don't need it. It's just another form of carbohydrate. 🙂

 

[Copepod]

Sugar doesn't just come from sugar cane and sugar beet, though.

Looking at hunter gatherer societies, honey and fruit were always highly prized foods, which contain high sugar content.

People went to, and still go to, amazing lengths to claim honeycombs from cliffs and trees, suffering multiple stings, to bring back to their families.

Climbing palms for dates and coconuts is also relatively risky, but carried out enthusiastically.

 

[HippyChick]

Yes, but does out body need it? If we never ate sugar again, would our bodies suffer?

 

[Northerner]

Sugar doesn't just come from sugar cane and sugar beet, though.

Looking at hunter gatherer societies, honey and fruit were always highly prized foods, which contain high sugar content.

People went to, and still go to, amazing lengths to claim honeycombs from cliffs and trees, suffering multiple stings, to bring back to their families.

Climbing palms for dates and coconuts is also relatively risky, but carried out enthusiastically.

This is true, we may like it, but don't actually need it 🙂

 

[Copepod]

So, perhaps most accurate so say that humans don't need sugar, but do crave it. Sugar doesn't just come in bowls of cystals!

 

[novorapidboi26]

We need glucose........but that can come from carbohydrates, proteins and fats............

the body will adapt to whatever situation it is faced with eventually, but for diabetics its not so easy...........

 

[HippyChick]

So, it's the glucose we need, but the stuff in biscuits etc we don't need, just crave?

 

[GlucoseGary]

Yes, as I understand it Glucose is part of the fundamental metabolic chain our body uses for its energy supplies. However, if you don't eat actual glucose then your body has many ways of manufacturing it, from easy and chemically close sources - eg fructose and starch - through fats (with the by-production of ketones) to protein.

 

[HippyChick]

Thanks, that's fascinating. The conversation started, because I have just found out that I have impaired glucose tolerance, and my husband is type 2, and were were talking about sugar. I have been told I need to loose weight and exercise etc. So the fact is, we don't need the sugar and if I could get my brain to understand that, then not having the so called bad things would be so much easier.

The funny thing is, chocolate can kill dogs, so, I wouldn't dream of giving him any, I wonder why us humans don't do the same for ourselves?

 

[Copepod]

Theobromine in chocolate is poisonous to dogs

Danger of chocolate to dogs is nothing to do with sugar content, but theobromine, a specific component of chocolate - see http://www.vetrica.com/care/dog/chocolate.shtml for example.

 

[HippyChick]

Yes, I know it isn't the sugar content. I think I was trying to convince myself that these things are not good for me.

 

[trophywench]

We don't actually need carbohydrate, in the way we eat carbs now (from wheat, other cereals, spuds etc)

When paleolithic (?) man was hunting the woolly mammoth and Mrs Ug was gathering nuts and berries - cereals and spuds weren't known. There was hardly a root veg to speak of. So no sugar beet in England and we certainly can't grow cane! OK they didn't live as long as we do now, but that was nowt to do with diet, except of course if there was no food at all - in which case they just starved to death LOL

 

[slipper]

We don't actually need carbohydrate, in the way we eat carbs now (from wheat, other cereals, spuds etc)

When paleolithic (?) man was hunting the woolly mammoth and Mrs Ug was gathering nuts and berries - cereals and spuds weren't known. There was hardly a root veg to speak of. So no sugar beet in England and we certainly can't grow cane! OK they didn't live as long as we do now, but that was nowt to do with diet, except of course if there was no food at all - in which case they just starved to death LOL

Thats a good point actually. I read the brain needs glucose to function, and wondered why mine didn't, but but put it down to too low a carb intake.🙂

 

[lauraw1983]

Yes we need glucose in some form to stay alive, but no we do not 'need' the refined sugar found in so many things nowadays that we eat. And it is everywhere.

Refined sugar is one of the most addictive things out there, it contains no vitamins, minerals or anything else of any nutrition to us.

Desn't mean it doesn't taste nice though 🙄 😛

 

[Vicsetter]

Sugar is instant energy for the body and that is why we crave it.
{Quote}From the moment we are born, our sweet tooth is developed by life giving colostrum from which we continue to be breastfed or given infant formula both of which contain significant and rather comparable amounts of carbohydrates. Breast- and bottle-fed infants obtain 40% of their energy from sugars in the form of lactose.{Quote: see http://www.positivehealth.com/article/nutrition/sugar-instant-energy-or-sweet-poison}
The brain uses 20% of our body energy (for only 2% of it's mass) and uses glucose as it's energy source. In the absence of glucose the brain can exist on ketones, if you fancy a starvation diet you can prove it.