The truth about sugar: Food is an ally, not an enemy, for dieters.

Carbohydrates include monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides such as starch. Because they are all composed of the three elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and hydrogen and oxygen are the same elements found in water, they are also called carbohydrates. Carbohydrates obtained from foods such as rice, bread, pasta, and potatoes are digested in the stomach and intestines, broken down into glucose, and then absorbed by the body for vital functions. Because they can be rapidly burned, they are an important source of energy.

Glucose is the only substance that enables the brain to function. Why are carbohydrates an important source of energy? Because glucose is the only substance that enables the brain to function. The brain consumes a massive amount of glucose that no other organ can match, and organs such as the adrenal medulla, red blood cells, and ovaries also rely on glucose as their sole source of energy. Therefore, carbohydrates are an indispensable nutrient for both the brain and the body.

Rice is the true ally of those trying to lose weight. When dieting, some people replace rice with bread or eat only vegetables, believing that eating less-meaning treating rice as the staple food-has no special nutritional value. This is a misconception. This misunderstanding stems from the fact that in times of poor nutrition, it was necessary to increase the intake of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, nutrition education at the time recommended consuming more animal-based foods such as meat, fish, and eggs. Thus, the slogan "eat less rice, more vegetables" permeated the minds of most people.

However, this argument is no longer applicable. Modern family diets have reduced the proportion of rice and increased the amount of vegetables, leading to a deficiency in carbohydrates and an excess of protein, fat, and salt – new problems have arisen. The advantage of Japanese cuisine is now recognized because it contains carbohydrates from rice. By centering its dishes on starch-based foods and combining them with various other ingredients, Japanese cuisine avoids excessive fat intake.

A diet containing 2200 calories, with carbohydrates making up nearly 40%, leads to a rise in blood sugar after meals, increased insulin secretion, and promoted fat synthesis. The body stores very little carbohydrates; when the body no longer needs them, it converts excess carbohydrates into fat and stores them. Of the three major nutrients, carbohydrates are the most likely to stimulate insulin secretion. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, controls blood sugar levels and plays a role in the synthesis and storage of fat. In other words, the more insulin secreted after a meal, the more easily fat is formed, leading to obesity.

Compared to other nutrients, carbohydrates are digested quickly and stay in the stomach for a shorter time, which is a negative factor for weight loss because it makes it harder to withstand hunger and leads to overeating. However, does completely eliminating carbohydrates lead to effective weight loss? The answer is no. Not only that, but it can also cause problems like hypoglycemia, and if ketone bodies in the blood increase, it can lead to the dangerous condition of acidosis. This is because protein or fat ingested from food cannot immediately form an energy source in the body, so it must first rely on body fat for burning. Burning body fat requires carbohydrates, and when a large amount of body fat is burned, the ketone bodies produced by fat breakdown become acidic in the blood, leading to acidosis.

A diet consuming 1600 calories, with nearly 40% being carbohydrates. 150 grams of carbohydrates provide 600 calories. Therefore, if the total daily intake is 2200 calories, carbohydrates will account for nearly 40%. 150 grams of carbohydrates provide 600 calories. This not only fails to lead to weight loss but also harms health. In other words, it depletes the body's muscle tissue, leading to dire consequences. Muscle tissue is the primary protein tissue in the body. Therefore, if carbohydrates are completely eliminated, when the body lacks sufficient calories, it will consume protein tissue that can be converted into glucose, thus converting protein tissue into energy. Muscle tissue is the primary protein tissue in the body.

Beware of the temptation of sweets. When it comes to weight loss, everyone thinks of sugar as the enemy. However, the problem isn't sugar itself, but rather the amount and types. One thing to be careful about is consuming too much refined sugar. Staple foods like grains (rice, bread, noodles, etc.) are primarily composed of starch, a polysaccharide formed by thousands or tens of thousands of linked glucose molecules. Refined sugar, fructose in fruits, honey, and other sugars are monosaccharides or oligosaccharides, composed of one or two linked sugars. The metabolism of long polysaccharides like starch and short monosaccharides like sugar differs slightly in the body. Monosaccharides or oligosaccharides dissolve in water and have a sweet taste. When they enter the body, the small intestine absorbs them immediately, providing a quick source of energy. Therefore, eating a small amount of sweets when hungry can eliminate the feeling of hunger. This is also why drinking a sweet beverage can restore energy after strenuous exercise when feeling weak and tired.

On the other hand, because of its rapid absorption, sugar levels rise sharply, increasing insulin secretion, which promotes fat synthesis. In other words, sugar is more easily converted into fat than starch, and because it stays in the stomach for a shorter time, it immediately makes you feel hungry and want to eat, creating a vicious cycle. Furthermore, grains contain not only carbohydrates but also protein, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Sugar, however, offers little nutritional value beyond carbohydrates. Therefore, even though both are carbohydrate-rich foods, reducing the intake of rice and bread while increasing the intake of sweets results in the same calorie intake, but with completely different nutritional value. To obtain the necessary nutrients for weight loss within a restricted calorie intake, it is essential to avoid foods that only increase calories but decrease nutritional value-these are also called "empty calorie" foods. Moreover, commercially available snacks are convenient and can easily disrupt the regular three-meal-a-day routine. Carbohydrates allow the brain to function properly and replenish energy throughout the day; therefore, carbohydrates are indeed necessary for weight loss. However, you should never rely on sweets to supplement your carbohydrate intake.