sugar vs. protein

Question
I read that excess refined sugar is converted to fat, and increases bodyfat. But what about

1. sugar from fruits
2. other carbohydrates
3. protein

Are these 3 things not converted to fat? Are they just used as energy, or stored as carbs/protein? Will they not increase bodyfat like refined sugars do?

Thanks.

Answer
Will,
That is a great question. In short, anything that exceeds what you burn in a day may be stored as fat. However, there are some things to point out.

Any sugar, whether from a soda or fruit impacts blood sugar levels. When you ingest a simple sugar it's absorbed rapidly into the blood stream giving you high blood sugar.  But that's ok since the pancreas secretes insulin to remove the excess. There's another hormone however involved called glucagon, and the pancreas does a balancing act between the 2. As insulin production goes up, glucagon production goes down. Why is that important? Glucagon, is the hormone responsible for fat release. Ingest a simple sugar and you lock in stored body fat.
That being said, to me this could very well be the #1 culprit of obesity today. The average American consumes 168lbs of sugar a year.
Now, I mentioned that fruits contain simple sugars. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're unhealthy, in fact they're very healthy, just don't think that eating a fruit salad is a good way to eat for fat loss. If you do enjoy fruit, be sure to consume it with a protein to help slow down digestion. EAt a variety of vegetables to ensure you get adequate vitamins/minerals.
AS far as other carbs, complex carbs such as those in a potato and brown rice are a bit different. By the name it implies that the structure is a little more complicated, instead of being a simple strand of a sugar, it is a link of numerous sugar molecules together. The body has to work harder, thus digestion is slowed and the blood sugar spike isn't as much. However, it's still a good idea to consume a complex carb with a lean protein and a fibrous carb (such as most green veggies) to help further slow down digestion.

As far as protein, the likelyhood it will be stored as fat isnt' high, but like I said, excess may. I wouldn't take that to mean one can consume all the protein they want, as an excess can be harmful.

I hope that's been of some help and now you'll have a better understanding that not all carbs are created equal, unlike what they low-carb "supporters" would have you believe. I'm currently working on a low-carb research paper for one of my college classes. If you email me [email protected] I'd be more than happy to send it to you once I'm finished so you'll have a complete understanding.

To Your Health!
Mark Shields

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