Natural sugars vs refined sugars

There can be a lot of confusion around the subject of sugar, and exactly what the differences between refined sugars and natural sugars are. The name would suggest that they are completely different things, and many jump to the conclusion that they are, and that natural sugar is better for you. Well, natural sugar is better for you, but not because of any molecular difference between them.

Refined sugar and natural sugar are essentially the same thing. The molecular structure and composition of the sugar molecules are the same no matter whether it is refined or natural. All sugar is made up of fructose and glucose, and the ratio of each is the same in the sugar you would find in both cold-pressed fruit juice and in a cake. Although the sugars may be the same at this basic level, don’t think that the things like cold-pressed juice and a cake are interchangeable – they’re really not, and here’s why.

The real difference between natural and refined sugars – it’s all about nutrition

The body breaks down the components of sugar in two ways. The fructose is broken down by the liver, and doesn’t require any insulin to do so. The glucose on the other hand is broken down in the stomach, and requires insulin to be released in the bloodstream to fully metabolize it.

So how does this make natural sugars better for you than refined sugars? Well, when you drink slow juice, the natural sugar comes with a high injection of nutrients. These nutrients help regulate and slow down the breakdown of sugar, and thus keeps blood sugar levels low, as well as requiring the body to release less insulin into the bloodstream. Conversely, most products containing refined sugars are comparatively devoid of any nutrition, so the body goes into overdrive to break it down. This often results in high blood sugar levels and a spike in insulin, which is something that is very bad for the body.

On another note, although refined sugar isn’t different to natural sugar on a base level, refined sugar goes through extensive processing to get it into the state it is in, which can involve a myriad of chemicals and additives. One of the major points of drinking slow juices is that it is completely natural and organic, cutting out some of the toxins and chemicals we consume from our lives. The natural sugar within slow juice helps ensure that this is the case.

How high sugar levels damage the body

The nature in which natural sugars are absorbed, and the high nutrition that accompanies them, means that they do not pose a threat to the body in the same way that refined sugars do. Refined sugars are absorbed extremely quickly, due to the lack of nutrients that accompany them. This leads to extremely high sugar content levels within the bloodstream. The main reason this is a problem is because when sugar levels are too high, it begins to stick to the outer surfaces of cell membranes, destroying the cells. This can lead to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, dementia, cancer, impotence and loss of blood flow to the arms and legs. A major way of preventing this is by cutting down on the intake of refined sugars, and replacing intake with more natural ones. Like those found in slow juices. The slow absorption of natural sugars allow for blood sugar levels to be much more manageable, negating a lot of risk.

Society tends to have a great reliance on heavily processed food and drink, consuming high amounts of refined sugars and not really giving the body what it needs to accompany it. Switching to slow cold-pressed juice can help change this, boosting both our health and sense of well-being.