this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2024
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All of the info about why added sugar is unhealthy compared to fruits seems to be that the sugar in fruit comes with fibre and nutrients that offset the negative health impacts of sugar to a degree by delaying its absorption and preventing a blood sugar spike.

However, by this reasoning alone, wouldn't it be possible to infer that if added sugar was paired with the same amount of fibre and nutrients, its effects could be mitigated in the same way as they are in fruit?

Well I haven't found any evidence either supporting or negating this idea or anyone even talking about that question specifically aside from a few other people asking the same thing, and random people replying without citing any evidence. For example someone suggested that indeed taking this approach may work a little bit, but it still won't be as healthy as eating fruit due to the "fibre-infused food matrix" of fruit or that sugar that is found naturally in fruits is "complexed" with fiber that slows down the absorption more, whereas the added sugar is more freely available to absorb quickly because it's separate from the fibre even if eaten together with it (though the separate fibre will still do some of the same job but not as well)?

"It can slow the absorption of sugar slightly but won't make a huge difference. Sugar from wholefruit and veg will always be processed differently due to the food matrix the sugars contained in that must be vroken down resulting in a slow and gradual release, when u eat added sugar but just have some fiber all that sugar is still there readily available to absorb. Overall it would be better to just stick to fruit and eat mixed macro meals with healthy unsaturated fats and proteins"

Well if possible I would like to see some scientific evidence/studies talking specifically about the difference on the body between consuming whole fruits containing their natural sugar and fibre + nutrients, compared to consuming added sugar along with foods containing fibre and nutrients in equivalent amounts (such as bircher muesli with added palm sugar, or another example if necessary for the sake of equalizing the fibre+nutrients content), and ideally health outcome data showing there is actually a difference between these...

And just more information in general about the idea of naturally occurring sugar and fibre contained together in a single food matrix being different/more healthy than added sugar taken together with separate fibre foods.

Thanks

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[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 34 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Bio-availability matters. The sugars that are bound with the fibre matter. The fact that the sugar is so concentrated and processed matters.

In order for it to be the same, you’d need to bind the sugars to the fibres because those linkages matter afaik. So you CAN do it, but the process required would basically entail recreating the fruit.

Now I’m talking WAY out of my depth here, but the information is around

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7393990/

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Addendum, this is also why multivitamins are sketchy at best.

It’s great you’re getting vitamins, but in this format, your body can’t really absorb much of them (if any)

[–] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml 9 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I know this, but:

0.05(multivitamin) > jack shit

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Entirely!

I’m not saying don’t take them.

I’m saying “eat your veggies anyways”

[–] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Totally, I'm just admitting that I'm someone that eats like shit lol.

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Fair lol.

I mean I’m replying from a rib place right now soooo…. Yeah

[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If you were dead set on this experiment, I wonder if you could avoid recreating fruit, by simply having a lesser amount of the added sugar commensurate with how much of it you would end up absorbing if consuming fruit instead.

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Haha, well presumably not because the OP's proposed substitute food made from fruit/vegetable constituents isn't the same thing as fruit/vegetable at least in part because the sugars are not bound to the fibre as you say. If my theory was correct, and OP put the correct amount less sugar in to their weird food substitute mix they'd end up with nutritional the equivelant of some kind of fruit which has more, but less freely available, sugar. If that reduced amount of sugar ended up equal to the amount of sugar in a vegetable, presumably the same principle would apply, whereby the sugar content might be equal in weight to an equivalent vegetable, but because of the relative availability of that sugar were it in vegetable form, your food substitute mix would have to be even less sugar (or just none) to be a vegetable, although presumably it still wouldn't be one given it's just constituent elements not bound together in to a form recognisable as a vegetable.

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I’m WAY beyond my depth to comment on this at all.

I understand the version you could draw with a crayon you intended to eat.

[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Oh. Ouch. Sorry mate I wasn't trying to imply I had any expertise. Just trying to follow conclusions for amusement. If it's not clear, I'm not OP, I'm not trying to do whatever wacky thing they're trying to do. I'll take it from your apparent anger this has ceased to be amusing for you before it did for me so I'll leave it there and not bother you any more.

I do like that last barb though, even if directed at my expense, if I can ever find a scenario that suits I might have to steal that.

[–] ArbiterXero@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Oh, I’m not upset! It was just meant to be funny at my own personal expense and let you know that I have NO idea.

My bad! All good. I just have no idea how most of this works

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@kbin.run 2 points 6 months ago

Nice citation. TY!