regulates blood glucose levels, and does so
with the hormone insulin. Diabetes is a
disease in which the insulin system is unable
to control blood glucose adequately. And a
high intake of some food sugars overloads the
blood with glucose and puts stress on the
insulin system. This is dangerous for people
who suffer from diabetes. The foods that raise
blood glucose levels the most are foods rich in
glucose itself, including such starchy foods as
potatoes and rice that our enzymes digest into
glucose. Table sugar, a combination of
glucose and fructose, has a somewhat smaller
effect, and fructose itself has a much smaller
effect, since it must be metabolized in the
liver before the body can use it for energy.
One valuable property of many sugar
substitutes is that they do not raise blood
sugar levels.
Sugar Substitutes