pc@hplabsb.UUCP (Patricia Collins) (04/26/84)
Perhaps this discussion belongs in net.med. Please read LIVE LONGER NOW (Pritikin) for a reference on sugars & what they do. Simple sugars (brown, white, honey) are virtually indistinguishable as far as their impact on your system (assuming your not allergic to the pollens used by the bees...). Nearly simple sugars (raisins, prunes, etc.) are almost the same, but break down slightly slower. More complex sugars (most fruits) break down still slower, but can do a job on a person with a very sensitive blood sugar balance. A teaspoon of sugar dissolved in warm water for the yeasties to gobble will result in bread that has virtually *no* simple sugars lying around (certainly, on a per-slice basis). In fact, starchy carbohydrates (bread, sugar-free cereals, potatoes, and rice) can be very damaging in quantity. (I can't eat a high-starch, low-protein breakfast, even if there are no "sugars" in the meal. My adrenelin/insulin[?] goes wild. I can take a couple ounces of fruit juice or fresh fruit.) The argument that sugars other than processed sugar cane have other redeeming values (nutrition) is only relevant if the person can tolerate sugars. Patricia Collins hplabs