Most of us would agree that our overall health is probably the most important aspect of life.
However, it is well known that the general level of health in the United States is not where it is supposed to be. The US (and most of the developed world) is currently undergoing an obesity epidemic. This problem is mostly due to the overly processed, non-nutrient rich foods that make up the majority of our diets. One of the main potentially problem-causing particles in our diet is sugar and its other various forms.
How Does the Body Process Sugar?
There has been a lot of information about sugar in the media lately.
Unfortunately, much of the recent information being released on this extremely common condiment/nutrient is not very positive. Is sugar good for you? How is sugar processed in the body? Is there any good place for sugar and its derivatives in a healthy diet? Past and current research seems to show conflicting information.
With all this serious yet contradictory information about sugar, it only makes sense why so many of us are trying to figure out where this common energy source should fit into our lives and diets. Is it healthy or even possible to use sugar on a long-term basis? Most people and even researchers don’t have a complete answer, but they are making strides in figuring out how different forms of sugar affect our bodies. New research seems to indicate that there may be parts of our body that offer protective properties against the negative (and potentially toxic) effects of sugar. So, maybe there is a chance that sugar isn’t bad for us?
A new study reported in Cell Metabolism seems to show that our bodies may have some previously unseen natural mechanisms designed to control the damage that sugar does to our body. In this study, researchers were studying the damage caused by a particular type of sugar known as fructose. Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar that is most commonly found in fruits and honey. This is why fructose is commonly known as fruit sugar.
Liver damage is one of the most common health conditions that is caused by the overconsumption of sugar. This is due to the fact that the liver is the primary organ responsible for breaking down, digesting and absorbing different forms of sugars. However, the liver can eventually malfunction and fail if it is consistently overworked by the over-digestion of sugar.
In this new study, the researchers were tracking the digestion of fructose through the bodies of mice. When they started the study, they assumed that the liver was primarily responsible for the digestion of fructose. However, as they conducted the study and followed the digestion byproducts of fructose through the bodies of the mice, they found another part of the body that seemed to handle quite a bit of the fructose digestion by itself! Apparently, the small intestine can handle the digestion of small to moderate levels of fructose. If the levels of fructose that are ingested are not high enough, the small intestine can handle the digestion of the fructose completely before it even hits the liver!
This indicates that the small intestine may be able to alleviate some of the liver damage that has been caused by the indulgence of different types of sugars. While more research needs to be done, it potentially adds some hope that perhaps our bodies can handle this common substance without taking unnecessary damage. If you have more questions about how the body processes sugar or simply need some help from one of the best chiropractic practices in the Valley, contact us anytime at FIX24 Joint Biomechanics!
