simple carbohydrates
Good question! In this section we look for the answers to nagging questions. This time: what are fast sugars?
You may have come across the term “fast sugars”. For example in an article with weight loss tips, in which you are advised to avoid fast sugars. But what kind of sugars are those exactly?
When you talk about sugars, it’s actually about carbohydrates. These are in all products that contain sugar or starch. For example, there are carbohydrates in fruit, dairy, potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, soft drinks and cookies. Your body converts carbohydrates into fuel that you use, for example, to exercise and think.
Single or multiple
There are different types of carbohydrates. Some consist of one sugar molecule, which are called simple carbohydrates. Other carbohydrates consist of chains of two or more sugar molecules linked together. Those are multiple carbohydrates.
If you eat something that contains multiple carbohydrates, enzymes in your saliva and the small intestine break these chains of carbohydrates into separate sugar molecules. These molecules then enter your bloodstream mainly as glucose. This causes your blood sugar level to rise.
fast and slow
The digestion of complex carbohydrates takes longer than that of simple carbohydrates. As a result, more time passes before multiple carbohydrates in the form of glucose are released into your blood. That is why we call them slow carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates enter your blood faster than glucose and are therefore also called fast sugars.
Fast sugars are carbohydrates that enter your bloodstream quickly and cause your blood sugar level to rise quickly.
Get back soon
If you eat something with fast sugars or fast carbohydrates, your blood sugar level rises at a rapid rate. After that, your blood sugar level also drops quickly. That can make you hungry again soon. You get a boost from, for example, a piece of chocolate, but afterwards you feel like more sweetness again. In addition, large fluctuations in your blood sugar are not good for your health.
Slow carbohydrates do not give rise to those spikes in blood sugar. In addition, products with slow carbohydrates are often full of fiber. They give you a feeling of satiety for a long time.
Fast carbohydrates can come in handy in endurance sports. For example, if you run or cycle for more than an hour and a half, the stock of carbohydrates in your body will run out. With fast sugars you can replenish your energy.
What are they in?
Fast carbohydrates are in:
- Sweets (sugar, sweet spreads, candy, cookies, cake, ice cream, honey).
- Drinks with sugar (soft drinks, fruit juice, smoothies with fruit).
- potatoes.
- Products made from white flour (white bread, white pasta, white rice).
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