Carbohydrates are not Created Equal.
The Ups & Downs of Sugar
Statistics show that the average person consumes 131 lbs. of sugar each year, 60 lbs. of which is in the form of refined white sugar. Sugars not only feed the anaerobic forms of life, but also cause the ups & downs, in the mood, mental focus and level of energy we experience. Carbohydrates are merely different forms of simple sugars linked together in polymers.
We all need a certain amount of carbohydrates in our diet. The body requires a continual intake of carbohydrates to feed the brain, which uses
Glucose a form of sugar as its primary energy source. The brain uses two-thirds of the circulating carbohydrate in the bloodstream while you are at rest. The body continually takes carbs and converts them into glucose. Any carbs not immediately used by the body will be stored in the form of glycogen (a long string of glucose molecules linked together). The body can store glycogen in two sites of the body, the liver and the muscles.
The glycogen store in the muscles is inaccessible to the brain. Only the glycogen stored in the liver can be broken down and sent back to the bloodstream so as to maintain adequate blood sugar levels for proper brain function. The liver`s capacity to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen is very limited and can be easily depleted within ten to twelve hours. So the liver`s glycogen reserves must be maintained on a continual basis.
However what happens when you eat too many carbohydrates?
Whether its being stored in the liver or the muscle, the total storage capacity of the body for carbohydrate is really quite limited. If you’re an average person, you can store about three hundred to four hundred grams of carbohydrate in your muscle, but you can’t get at that carbohydrate. However in the liver, where carbohydrates are accessible for glucose conversion, you can store only about sixty to 90 grams, this is equivalent to about two cups of cooked pasta. This represents your total reserve capacity to keep the brain working properly.
Once your glycogen levels are filled in both the liver and the muscles, excess carbohydrates have only one fate and that is to be converted into fat and stored in adipose (fatty) tissue. Even though a carbohydrate is not considered a fat – note: excess carbs end up as excess fat if too much is ingested.
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Interesting considering all the data coming out about the effects of sugar on health. Of course not a surprise to any in the health field or area of interest but I know for sure my body craves sugar – A LOT! It’s a tough one for sure.