Click to follow and don’t get lost ↑ ↑ Popularize scientific knowledge and spread the scientific spirit Excessive consumption of sugar will lead to an increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The increase in the

monosaccharides can not only regulate the new fat production pathway, but also serve as a substrate for triglycerides synthesis and output in the form of lipoprotein .

• sugar absorption

• carbohydrates are not absorbed

There are about 40 g of dietary carbohydrates such as resistant starch , non-starch polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that can prevent the digestion of host enzymes from reaching the colon. When

insoluble fiber is poorly metabolized or not metabolized through the intestine, the resident microorganism in the distal small intestine and colon will rapidly ferment soluble fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionate and butyric acid .

butyric acid is one of the most important metabolites produced by gastrointestinal microorganisms. It is the main energy source of colon cells and directly affects the growth and differentiation of colon cells. In addition, butyric acid has a variety of physiological effects, including the role of in enhancing the intestinal mucosal immune barrier.

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Excessive intake of sugar is related to a variety of gastrointestinal diseases

There is evidence that processed monosaccharides will reduce leukocyte phagocytosis and may increase the level of inflammatory cytokine markers in the blood. By contrast, fiber intake is shown to prevent inflammation. sugar accumulation in the colon increases the penetration load and the fermentation rate of colonic flora, and aggravates abdominal pain and intestinal dysfunction.

High sugar intake is associated with various tissue and organ dysfunction and can lead to overweight, cardiovascular disease, html type 12 diabetes , insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.

• Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional intestinal disease related to a variety of clinical symptoms. Soluble fibers show that can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. low FODMAPs (representing oligosaccharides, disaccharides , monosaccharides and polyol ) diet is a possible treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

low FODMAPs diet consists of the first letter of 6 words, representing several different kinds of carbohydrates, namely:

• fructose (Fructose): Natural fructose is found in vegetables and fruits, such as honey, apples, etc.; it is also found in most processed foods, such as glucose syrup .
• Lactose: Natural lactose is found in milk, so dairy products such as yogurt and cheese contain higher lactose.
• fructan: Natural fructan is found in foods such as wheat, rye , onions and garlic.
• galacto-oligosaccharides: naturally occur in beans.
• polyols: Common polyols foods include apples, avocados, blackberry , apricots, cherries, nectarines, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc.; they are also commonly found in processed foods with sugar-free , such as sorbitol, mannitol , xylitol , polyglucose , and quasi- maltose , etc.

simplely, FODMAPs foods are a kind of fermentable sugars and sugar alcohols (carbohydrates), which are not easily digested and absorbed by the human body, including oligosaccharides , lactose, fructose and polyols. Although food itself is not a factor that causes irritable bowel syndrome, some people with digestive problems will experience symptoms of abdominal distension, abdominal pain and diarrhea (or worsen intestinal problems) after eating high FODMAPs. A low FODMAPs diet means reducing the amount of foods containing these carbohydrates during the intervention period.

A recent meta-analysis showed that lactose intolerance is more common in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, but due to lack of statistical power, the correlation between irritable bowel syndrome and lactose intolerance was not proved. Furthermore, few studies have elucidated the mechanism by which fermentable carbohydrates may cause symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

• inflammatory bowel disease

inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, with an increasing incidence worldwide, especially in children. Different epidemiological data show that adopting a Western dietary model is associated with an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, overweight and obesity are clear risk factors for worsening of inflammatory bowel disease. A prospective cohort study reported that the increase in ultra-processed food intake was positively correlated with the increase in the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

For patients with inflammatory bowel disease, exclusion of certain specific carbohydrates in the diet is related to improvement of clinical manifestations, remission of the disease and mucosal healing.

• colorectal cancer

There is evidence that sugar intake is positively correlated with colorectal cancer. In particular, high fructose intake and obesity have been found to be associated with the prevalence of colorectal cancer and its progression. In patients with stage 3 colon cancer, the intake of high sugary beverages has been shown to be associated with a significant increase in cancer recurrence and mortality. After diagnosis, the increase in total fructose and glucose intake was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality rate in patients with stage 11 to 3 colorectal cancer.

Experimental studies show that advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) may promote colorectal cancer, but prospective epidemiological studies have not yet reached a certain conclusion. Further understanding of the metabolism of AGEs and their dicarbonyl precursors and their role in the development of colorectal cancer is needed.

Conclusion

In recent decades, people's dietary methods have undergone tremendous changes, and excessive intake of sugar has led to an increase in the incidence of some non-communicable diseases. WHO recommends to reduce free sugar (as defined by the World Health Organization, free sugar refers to all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to food by manufacturers, chefs or consumers, as well as sugars naturally occurring in honey, syrup and juice) intake to less than 10% of the total energy intake and recommends further reductions to less than 5%.

Although the scientific and medical community are paying more and more attention to sugar, the direct impact of sugar on healthy people's intestines still lacks specific analysis. Therefore, more attention is needed to be paid to the overall impact and quality of carbohydrate sources and diets than individual food ingredients.

Eat a lot of refined carbohydrates (especially add sugar and finished grains [such as white flour or white bread , etc.]) , etc. will have many negative effects on the intestinal and immune system. In addition, excessive intake of free sugars in leads to an increased risk of unhealthy diet, weight gain and noncommunicable diseases. Therefore, you need to pay attention to avoiding these adverse dietary factors in daily life.

Reference

[1] Arnone D, et al., (2022). Sugars and Gastrointestinal Health. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2021.12.011.

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