When choosing what to eat many make the mistake of looking only at the number of calories or the total amount of sugars and carbohydrates, because we know that just as there are different types of fats, there are different types of carbohydrates. So is it worse to consume refined sugar? If I am an athlete, can I eat sugars or complex carbohydrates indiscriminately?

Different energy sources

If we refer only to the calories that provide food, we can think that equals 30 grams of table sugar to 30 grams of oats, as hydrates both provide 4 kcal per gram. However, not everything is there.

Each food provides much more than just calories, and without going into analyzing other nutrients that they can make, we think that the structure and composition of each food depends on the effect on the body and therefore the energy that finally offered.

The sugar white table or refreshment rich in sugars can provide the same calories as hydrates oatmeal or a whole – wheat pasta, but the first practically require no digestive work, because they are in its simplest form as explained by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition last year.

This lower digestive process requires less energy to the body to metabolite and quickly we glucose derived from these refined sugars in our blood, for use as an energy source or otherwise, store them as fat.

By contrast, hydrates pasta or oatmeal, are not so simple and need to be digested by enzymes that our body has then recently, reaching the blood as glucose or usable energy source for our body.

The simple or refined sugars that can be found in highly processed foods like soda or candy rapid rise in blood glucose . For its part, the complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables reach the blood in a longer time so slowly raise blood glucose or what is the same, have a lower glycemic index.

Sudden elevations of glucose or food intake of high glycemic index as part of the normal diet, may increase the risk of various diseases such as overweight, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, infertility, cancer and others such as the School of notes Harvard Public health.

By contrast, a diet in which foods prevail or low-glycemic complex carbohydrates rich in fiber, has been linked to an anti-inflammatory effect on our organism that could prevent different pathologies.

Beyond calories

If we want health care with what we eat, we should be interested not only how calorie food offering beyond the energy contribution of each, but also the nutrients they provide.

We can eat the same calories but in a very different quality and therefore will have a different effect on our body and health. That is, not the same cover 50% of the calories in our diet in the form of refined sugar to cover the same proportion with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Clearly, they are not equal to 100 Kcal 100 Kcal fat hydrates, as the first not fill as the second and the latter are dimensioned compared to fats that can be stored in the body unlimited deposits.

We must also look all that accompanies sources of calories of a food, that is, beyond the presence of carbohydrates, proteins and fats is essential to observe whether a product found minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, water or other substances They do not provide energy but talk about the nutritional quality of a food.

Therefore, it is not the same as a commercial orange juice fresh orange, because although both can provide similar calories, the first will be more simple sugars, less fiber and probably less vitamin C, antioxidants and other healthy micro nutrients piece fresh fruit.

Being an athlete, is not imported energy sources?

We often think that regular physical activity saves us from having to review these issues in our food, but of course, we will be burning more calories and then we can go to sources of sugars. However, in athletes and sedentary these issues matter.

For an athlete, you need more calories daily, it is essential to choose foods with good nutrients or high quality, and above all, it is important to know what sources of quick energy or which provide energy more slowly to use them for their athletic performance.

If we are in the midst of a career and need energy and we must resort to some source of refined sugar as we have before, offers sugar immediately the body, whereas if we are running in a couple of hours and have energy, we can choose other foods that raise glucose more slowly.

In a sedentary person, the importance of selecting well hydrates or energy sources lies mainly in their health, as the consequences of consuming refined sugar in excess are many and therefore WHO change the maximum limit of 10 5% of daily calories.

Both athletes and sedentary people, a diet rich in sugars has been linked to increased risk of fatigue as well as type 2 diabetes, and a diet low proportion in this type of hydrates benefits cognitive processes and mood as they have proven by scientists.

In addition, whole grains rich in complex carbohydrates have been linked to lower risk of death from any cause and increase life expectancy by reducing the chances of suffering different diseases.

So for both athletes to sedentary, is not the same as simple and complex carbohydrates, i.e. there is no difference whether we choose refined sugar than other sources of carbohydrates for energy and nutrients, as for health care is not only a matter of burn the calories we eat but also to observe where those calories come and consider their effect on the body.

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