The Yale Guide to Children’s Nutrition explains it well: “Simple sugars require little digestion, and when a child [or adult] eats a sweet food, such as a candy bar or a can of pop, the glucose level of the blood rises rapidly. In response, the pancreas secretes a large amount of insulin to keep blood glucose levels from rising too high. This large insulin response in turn tends to make blood sugar fall to levels that are too low 3 to 5 hours after the candy bar or can of soda has been consumed. This may then lead to an adrenaline surge, which in turn can cause nervousness and irritability... The same roller-coaster ride of glucose and hormone levels is not experienced after eating complex carbohydrates or after eating a balanced meal, because the digestion and absorption processes are much slower.”
This is easy to observe. Drink a can of pop full of sugar and glucose enters the bloodstream at a rate of something like 30 calories per minute. Complex carbohydrates and starches are digested more slowly, so glucose enters the bloodstream at a rate of only 2 calories per minute. Proteins and fats take even longer. Soluble fibre, in food or as a supplement, can slow digestion considerably and is helpful for blood sugar management. If too much sugar is absorbed and not used, it will be stored, creating more body fat.
This phenomenon produces insulin resistance - also called Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome - a condition that is a precursor to Type II diabetes because insulin works less efficiently with every pound of added body fat. Insulin resistance leads to obesity, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and blood vessel damage, inflammation and other non-optimum health conditions. More than a third of North American adults, and many children, exhibit symptoms of insulin resistance. The key to preventing or reversing these health problems is to improve insulin sensitivity and normalize blood glucose balance. Eating more complex carbs, more healthy protein and more fibre, can help derail that blood sugar roller-coaster and give your body a break.
Consult with your health care practitioner for natural ways to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes.
References:
- The Yale Guide to Children's Nutrition , William V. Tamborlane, M.D., Editor in Chief, Janet Z. Weiswasser, Managing Editor, Teresa Fung, Nancy A. Held, and Tara Prather Liskov
- Brown L, Rosner B, Willett WW, Sacks FM, "Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fibre: a meta-analysis." Am J Clin Nutr. 1999, 69(1): 30-42
- J Marlett JA, McBurney MI, Slavin JL; "American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: health implications of dietary fiber." J Am Diet Assoc, 2002, 102 (7): 993-1000
- Jenkins DJ, Wolever TM, Leeds AR, Gassul MA, Haisman P, Dilawari J, Goff DV, Metz GL, Alberti KG, "Dietary fibres, fibre analogues, and glucose tolerance: importance of viscosity." BMJ, 1978,1:1392-1394