[Sca-cooks] Sugar problems

[Terry Decker]

Sucrose is "plain sugar."  There is no chemical difference between cane 
sugar and beet sugar, both are sucrose.  There may be differences in the 
trace elements from the processing, but they should have no effect on blood 
sugar levels.  It is a disaccharide and breaks down into glucose and 
fructose from enzymatic action in digestion.

Corn syrup is produced from cornstarch.  High fructose corn syrup (which is 
a common sweetner) is roughly equivalent to sucrose and according to the 
USDA there is no appreciable metabolic difference between HFCS and sucrose. 
The key point with corn syrup is a mix of fructose and glucose that does not 
need to be broken down by enzymes before being used by the body.  That 
should translate to faster metabolizaton.

Honey contains a number of different sugars, but the basic fructose/glucose 
ratio is roughly equivalent to HFCS.  In general, the metabolic effects will 
be similar between honey and HFCS.

As I understand it, fructose gives a sweeter taste with less actual sugar 
and maltose (or some derivative) digests slower and causes less of a sugar 
rush.  I haven't investigated the claims, so I may be wrong.

Bear

> Pulling from vague memory, Sugar beet is better then corn syrup. Sugar 
> cane
> is better then sugar beet and fructose is better then sugar cane. 
> Something
> about the speed of change in the blood sugar level. I think honey has been
> equated of the same level as fructose.
> L
>
> -----Original Message-----
> sucrose (isn't sucrose or fructose better for diabetics than plain 
> sugar?)?
> C