Minimally Affects Blood Sugar Levels
The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the sugar in a food enters your bloodstream.
Generally speaking, foods with a higher GI cause greater blood sugar spikes and may affect your health more negatively (
Unlike glucose, fructose does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels in the short term.
This is why high fructose sweeteners are often marketed as healthy or diabetes friendly.
Agave nectar has a very low GI primarily because almost all of the sugar in it is fructose. It has very little glucose, at least compared with regular sugar.
A study in mice compared the metabolic effects of agave nectar and sucrose, or plain sugar, after 34 days. The mice ingesting agave nectar gained less weight and had lower blood sugar and insulin levels .
In such a short-term study, the glucose in plain sugar elevated both blood sugar and insulin levels, whereas fructose did not.
That said, the GI is just one factor to consider when weighing the health effects of sweeteners.
The harmful effects of agave and sugar in general have very little to do with the glycemic index but everything to do with the large amounts of fructose and agave nectar is very high in fructose.
SUMMARY
Agave nectar is low in glucose and therefore doesnt spike blood sugar levels much. This gives the sweetener a low glycemic index.
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup contain two simple sugars glucose and fructose at about 50% each.
Whats The Difference Between Fructose And Corn Syrup
Crystalline fructose is pure fructose, whereas high-fructose corn syrup consists of equal parts fructose and glucose, which the body treats similarly to table sugar. Fructose has twice as much sweetness as sucrose, so you can use half as much, and it absorbs liquid, which makes foods moister.
What foods are high in fructose and low in glucose?
Foods that contain table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup and fruit juice also contain fructose. All major carbohydrates contain glucose. Examples include starch and table sugar. Fructose is commercially added to many foods and beverages as a low cost sweetener.
What Should You Do When You Want Something Sweet
The most important thing I want you to remember is to avoid refined white sugars, agave, and artificial sweeteners.
Now that youre ready to make a conscious effort to remove these sugars from your lifestyle, my 30 Day Road map to Healthy Weight Loss has everything you need to stay healthy and keep focused on your goals.
In addition, the Solluna Circle is an exclusive community actively seeking health and wellness. Join today and receive topic discussions, meditations, recipes, access to a private Facebook group, and more!
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Staying Low On The Glycemic Index:
Most diabetics are very familiar with the Glycemic index, which is a ranking of the carbohydrates content in foods on a scale from 0 to 100, rating the extent and speed at which they raise blood sugar after consumption. Foods that have a glycemic index or 55 or below are considered low. Foods with a high glycemic index are those which are digested and absorbed quickly which results in extreme fluctuations in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, foods with a low-GI take much longer to digest and absorb, which help to produce gradual rises in levels of blood sugar and insulin rather than spikes.
This is known to have benefits for health, especially for those afflicted with diabetes. Diets that maintain a rich array of low GI foods have been shown to encourage lower glucose and blood lipid levels in diabetics. Low GI foods are beneficial for weight because they help to control appetite and delay sensations of hunger, also known to help consumers avoid insulin resistance.
Is White Sugar Glucose Or Fructose
White sugar, composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, has slightly lower GI.
How much fructose do you use instead of sugar?
Sucrose and glucose are what cause insulin levels to spike, whereas fructose does not. Fructose is whats found in fruit . However, too much fructose can be challenging for the liver to metabolize. The recommended quantity of fructose per day should not exceed 50 grams.
What does fructose do to blood sugar?
Fructose does not acutely raise blood glucose. As such, fructose has a lower glycemic index than do starch-based foods, and it has been used as an energy source in diabetes patients because it may aid glycemic control.
Whats the difference between sucrose, glucose, and fructose?
The simple sugar, glucose, is a monosaccharide, while table sugar, or sucrose, is a disaccharide. Glucose is the base form of sugar, along with two other monosaccharides, namely galactose and fructose. Fructose was first identified by Augustin Dubrunfault way back in 1847.
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Research On Fructose And Type 2 Diabetes
Since fructose is a sugar, you may be surprised to learn that consuming pure fructose does not raise blood sugar levels as much as you might expect. Because it actually has a lower glycemic index than other sugars.
So, if it doesnt spike your blood sugar, why is fructose such a problem for diabetics?
Fructose delays satiety, meaning that once you eat a lot of fructose you wont stay full for long, and you are more likely to overeat. This can result in weight gain as well as the desire to eat more carbohydrates not exactly what you want to do. Think about it, usually when youre craving something to eat you go for a high-carb snack like a choc chip cookie. You dont exactly crave a stalk of celery.
Next on the list. Consistently eating a diet high in fructose can contribute to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms insulin resistance, high blood pressure, overweight, high blood glucose, high cholesterol sound familiar? Most diabetics have metabolic syndrome.
Fructose also leads to leptin resistance. When you become leptin resistant, your brain and body stop communicating about hunger so you feel starving all the time, even when youve just eaten. What does this lead to? Overeating.
If your liver is fatty its going to struggle with all these important functions!
I could keep going on and on but I think you get the picture by now fructose is a food you want to avoid!
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Eating Chocolate Is Good For Your Health
All chocolate is not created equal. The known health benefits of chocolate come from a specific kind of antioxidant called flavanoids . But most chocolate doesnt have enough of the these flavanols to make a dent as a health booster.
Even 70 percent cacao might not be flavanol-rich, because of variability in the processing of the chocolate, from cacao bean to the ready-to-eat product. While laboratory studies show that flavanols can modestly lower blood pressure and relax blood vessels, making blood flow more easily this research typically uses purified preparations.
Translated to what real people are eating, the impact of eating regular dark chocolate on your health is hardly impressive. For example, a modest lowering of blood pressure was observed in people consuming a quarter of a pound of dark chocolate daily for three weeks.
At 160 calories per ounce, thats 640 calories per day from chocolate alone, about 1/3 of the recommended daily intake.
A specially processed cacao bean, called CocoaVia, containing much higher amounts of flavanols is available as a cocoa powder in single serving packets. Considered a dietary supplement, and not a food, it can be used like standard cocoa powder.
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Risks Of Overeating Cantaloupe
Even the best, most nutritious foods can potentially have negative effects on somebody, if they consume enough of it. Cantaloupe is no exception to this.
The following are risks you could be taking if you consume too much cantaloupe:
- If you have kidney disease, it can damage your kidneys even worse because your organs might not be able to filter out the extra potassium that too much cantaloupe would bring into your body.
- It can cause heartburn, which can be extremely uncomfortable.
- It can cause digestion problems, resulting in reflux, bloating, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
- Too much can raise your blood sugar to potentially dangerous levels. Any fruit can do this if you consume too much, but cantaloupe especially has a higher chance of raising your blood sugar if you eat too much of it.
Those are just the basic risks of overeating cantaloupe. It has the potential to do some damage to your body. So, be sure that when consuming cantaloupe, you dont eat too much.
A serving size of cantaloupe is one cup. Most people can typically get away with eating a bit more than that, but make sure not to overdo it, or you might get one, a few, or all of these side effects, or maybe even something not on the list.
Just make sure not to consume too much, as the truth is, you never really know exactly what kind of effect it will have on you.
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Agave Nectar: A Sweetener Thats Even Worse Than Sugar
The harmful effects of sugar are among the few things that most health experts agree upon.
Because many health-conscious people try to avoid sugar, many other sweeteners both natural and artificial have become popular.
One of those is agave nectar, which is often referred to as agave syrup. Its found in various health foods and marketed as a natural, diabetic-friendly sweetener that doesnt spike your blood sugar levels.
However, this article explains why agave nectar may be worse for your health than plain sugar.
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Tip #: Increase Your Fiber Intake
As bad as fructose is, thats how good fiber is! Think primarily about adding high-fiber foods to your diet because the more fiber you get, the better youll do in so many ways! Fiber helps with stabilizing blood sugar, increasing energy, burning fat, aiding digestion and strengthening your immune system. It also affects how well your body recovers from exercise, repairs connective tissues and heals your wounds.
What Is The Difference Between Cantaloupe And Muskmelon
The term cantaloupe is rather ambiguous as it refers to different varieties of the same melon from different regions of the world. Technically, all cantaloupes are muskmelons .
The European variety is considered the original cantaloupe and distinguishes itself by a thicker, but more finely netted to smooth, pale or light green, tan or grayish skin.
When present, ribs are more delicate. The North American variety has a thinner, but more reticulated skin and is light grey to pale yellow in color. Ribs may or may not be present. Both varieties have a sweet, flavorful, fragrant, light orange flesh and similar nutritional profiles, especially macronutrients profile.
When looking to determine if you can eat cantaloupe with diabetes or not, there are several nutritional aspects to consider: carbohydrate, sugar and fiber content, energetic value, glycemic index and glycemic load.
These are the major factors that will determine serving size. In theory, most diabetics can eat almost any fruit as long as amounts consumed are small enough so they dont cause any significant raise in blood sugar levels.
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Fructose And Insulin Resistance
Increasingly, questions have been raised as to whether dietary carbohydrate and fructose intake are directly related to the development of type 2 diabetes. As insulin resistance is often associated with circulating C-peptide concentrations, a cross-sectional study was performed to assess dietary fructose and carbohydrate, and glycemic loads related to C-peptide concentrations. It was found that the highest quintile of fructose intake had 13.9% higher C-peptide concentrations than the lowest quintile. Of note, subjects with high intakes of cereal fiber had 15.6% lower C-peptide concentrations, indicating that these types of nutrients may have opposing roles in the development of insulin resistance . A definite relationship has also been found between metabolic syndrome and hyperhomocysteinemia, which is associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Rats fed a fructose-enriched diet had a 72% higher homocysteine levels after 5 weeks compared to chow-fed controls . Elevated homocysteine levels are an important risk factor for vascular disease. Homocysteine was found to be higher in patients with stenotic vessels and coronary artery disease scores, and was in fact highest in diabetic patients . This is consistent with the increased TG, very low density lipoprotein secretion, and atherosclerosis associated with chronic fructose feeding.
What Are Complex And Simple Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified into two basic groups, complex and simple.
Complex carbohydrates are composed of multiple simple sugars, joined together by chemical bonds. The more chains and branches of simple sugars, the more complex a carbohydrate is and in turn, the longer it takes to be broken down by the body and the less impact it has on blood sugar levels. Examples of complex carbohydrates include wholegrains such as jumbo oats, brown rice, spelt, rye and barley.
Simple carbohydrates are either monosaccharides or disaccharides . They are digested quickly and release sugars rapidly into the bloodstream. The two main monosaccharides are glucose and fructose. The two major disaccharides are sucrose and lactose .
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Fructose: Low Glycemic Index
Fructose occurs naturally in fruits, giving them their sweetness. Because of this, many people consider fructose natural and assume that all fructose products are healthier than any other type of sugar.
Fructose has a low glycemic index, meaning it has minimal impact on blood glucose levels. This has made it a popular sweetener with people on low-carbohydrate and low-glycemic diets, which aim to minimize blood glucose levels to reduce insulin release.
Doctors Address The Popular Myth And Spill The Beans On Whether It Possible To Get Diabetes By Not Consuming Sugar
Diabetes can be caused by a variety of lifestyle factors, including the amount of sugar that a person consumes, the type of sugar and the autoimmune condition of the person. Eating lots of sugar can increase the risk of developing diabetes but it’s not the only thing that can cause the disease.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr A Sharda, Consultant – Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at Manipal Hospital on Millers Road shared, Type 2 Diabetes is more closely linked to genetic predisposition than to dietary habits like the consumption of sugar. So, if a person has a genetic predisposition of diabetes and consumes excess sugar in their daily food intake, resulting in obesity, they have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes at an earlier stage than others. However, we can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by many years even if we have a family history by adopting a few lifestyle measures that include regular exercise, a healthy diet and weight maintenance.
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Putting Too Much Stock In A Name:
While there is sometimes debate about what exactly constitutes a fruit, fruits share the characteristics of containing seeds being produced by plants or trees. Some unlikely candidates qualify as fruits including cucumbers, peas, corn, nuts, and avocados and tomatoes. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber that you need for healthy digestion, its less important whether it is a fruit or vegetable than that it contains the nutrients needed to maintain your health. Eating fruit can be a healthy way to curb your sweet tooth so that you dont eat anything that you will regret later.
Fresh fruit should always be the first choice if it is available, if you choose canned fruits make sure not to get a kind with added sugars. Canned fruits are healthiest when packed in natural juices, but are also ok in moderation with a light syrup. Whats important when choosing which fruits to eat is the energy and nutrient content of the food that youre consuming.
What Is The Glycemic Index Of Cantaloupe Melon
The glycemic index is fairly high for the fruit of Cantaloupe. Most fruits holds a Glycemic index between 30-50, but cantaloupe has a glycemic index of 65.
However, because the fruit is mostly made up of water, a standard 120 gram serving is very low on carbohydrates and calories, which means the glycemic load has a score of 4.
As discussed earlier, there are 2 other melons, besides cantaloupe, out there. Lets compare those 2 other melons to cantaloupe, and see what the difference is between the nutrients they offer.
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Risks Associated With Sucralose
Sucralose may affect your gut health.
The friendly bacteria in your gut are extremely important for your overall health, benefiting your immune system, heart, weight and other health aspects.
Rodent studies indicate that sucralose can modify intestinal microbiota and may eliminate some of this good bacteria, leading to inflammation of internal organs, like the liver .
In vivo studies show that sucralose may alter hormone levels in your digestive tract, leading to abnormalities that may contribute to metabolic disorders like obesity or even type 2 diabetes .
Research also shows that metabolic alterations caused by sucralose can lead to glucose intolerance, which increases your risk for diabetes .
More research is necessary to fully understand the link between sucralose and gut health, including more human studies.
But it is not entirely harmless.
Cooking with sucralose may also be dangerous.
In high temperatures such as during cooking or baking sucralose can disintegrate, forming potentially toxic chlorinated compounds .
Based on the available data, potential health risks associated with cooking with sucralose are not fully understood. You may want to think twice before cooking with sucralose.
Artificial sweeteners like sucralose are marketed as sugar substitutes that dont raise blood sugar levels, making them a safer choice for diabetics.
While these claims seem promising, they have yet to be confirmed by multiple large studies .