PSA.
Sugar is not heroin. You do not need to “detox” from it.
Firstly, detoxification is the process of removing toxic substances from the body. A toxin is an poison or venom which causes disease when present at low concentration in the body. Just to be clear, “detox” is a legitimate medical term and detoxification is provided in hospitals when there are actual life-threatening circumstances such as dangerous levels of alcohol, drugs or poison. The word “detox” has been hijacked by the wellness community under the premise that we are somehow full of toxins—and only if we take x supplement or drink y tea—can we be purified. There is usually a thick layer of weight-loss promises icing this bullshit cake.
Our body—our skin, our digestive tract, our lungs, our kidneys, and our liver—are pretty efficient at removing waste and other unwanted materials from our bodies. Of course there are ways to support these organs and help them function as effectively as possible but do we need a “sugar-detox?”
Lets first discuss what sugar is.
When people think of sugar, they are generally thinking of a disaccharide called sucrose. Sucrose is cane sugar; the sugar we put in our coffee in the morning or that we use while baking. Sucrose is also added to commercial products to provide sweetness.
But “sugar” is actually an umbrella term that refers to a number of carbohydrates including simple carbohydrates such as monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and disaccharides (lactose, sucrose, and maltose) as well as complex carbohydrates such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides (starches, glycogen, and dietary fiber). Most dietary carbohydrates are broken down to glucose which is commonly referred to as “blood sugar.”
Hopefully sugar is seeming more ambiguous and the idea of eliminating sugar is seeming more nuanced. When someone says they are eliminating sugar, clarification is needed: are we talking about cutting back on sweets like cookies and brownies or are they talking about sugar on the macro level—including all carbohydrate foods that would eventually be broken down into a monosaccharide? This would include the elimination of high lactose dairy, beans and legumes, fruits, starchy vegetables, and grains including wheat, rye, oats, barley, and rice. It should be noted that these are all nutrient dense foods. Hard to believe they are “toxic” (cough, because they’re not, cough).
This isn’t to say there isn’t a nutritional difference in foods that contain sugar or that too much sugar can’t have detrimental impact on health. Certainly this is true. For example, lets take the most common source of added sugar in the U.S. diet—sweetened soft drinks. A 12 ounce can of Coke has 140 calories, and 39 grams of carbohydrates all coming from added sugar. The ingredients in Coke are water, high fructose corn syrup (this is the added sugar), caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine. There aren’t really any other significant sources of nutrition. There is no fiber, no protein, no dietary fat. It also doesn’t have a significant source of vitamins or minerals. Is soda toxic? No. In fact, if someone were starving or dehydrated…soda would probably save their life. The problem with soda can be chronic overconsumption because it displaces other important nutrients. We also know that a diet high in simple sugars can have a negative effect on blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides) and needs to be monitored in someone who has metabolic impairment (someone with prediabetes or diabetes).
Reality is, the main difference between added sugar in commercial products and natural sources of sugar such as those found in fruits and dairy are the additional nutritional benefits of foods that have naturally occurring sugars. Fruit, for example, will also have dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Dairy, such as yogurt for example, will contain a natural source of sugar named lactose but will also contain protein, dietary fat, and vitamins and minerals. Essentially, you are getting more bang for your sugar buck. These additional nutrients also have influence over how our body responds to the sugar intake.
When carbohydrates on the macro level are consumed they are digested, absorbed, and transported through the body primarily as glucose. “Glucose is an essential nutrient for most cells to function properly. The brain and other tissues of the central nervous system and red blood cells are particularly dependent on glucose as a nutrient.” (Gropper)
You see, your body actually likes using glucose for energy and is very efficient at doing so; it has multiple back up plans to maintain homeostasis when energy needs are low.
One such process is called glycogenesis. This is when the body takes glucose that is not needed for immediate energy needs and converts it to glycogen. Think of glycogen as an energy reservoir. The body stores glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue; when our energy reserve is low (or we have increased energy needs such as during periods of exercise) the body can pull from the reservoir and convert the glycogen back into glucose. This process is called glycogenolysis. Confusing that our body would preserve a substance for future use if the substance were toxic.
Storing extra glucose as glycogen is sometimes not enough of a safeguard so our body has yet another mechanism. A process called gluconeogenesis or the production of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources like protein. Isn’t that wild? Your body has a mechanism to create glucose just in case it doesn’t get it from the diet and it runs out of its reserve.
If the body is almost completely deprived of carbohydrate as a source of fuel the liver begins producing ketones from fatty-acid oxidation. The brain requires a large and constant supply of fuel and in the fed individual, this happens to be glucose. However, during starvation ketone body formation is elevated and becomes the primary source of energy. This is an “overflow” pathway that may occur in someone with untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus, starvation, or someone implementing a very low carbohydrate diet. Although ketogenic diets have been shown to have some therapeutic effect, individuals implementing a ketogenic diet should be closely monitored by a healthcare professional. “Ketosis can be dangerous because it can disturb the body’s acid-base balance. However, the liver’s ability to deliver ketone bodies to peripheral tissues such as the brain and muscle is an important mechanism for providing fuel in periods of starvation. In short, it is the lesser of two evils.” (Gropper).
Essentially, your body doesn’t need to “detox” from sugar because sugar is not toxic. Carbs are not the #1 enemy and your body functions pretty well when consuming carbs. What can be helpful is choosing nutrient-dense carbohydrates more often when you can.
Carbohydrates are misrepresented and misunderstood. In my opinion, a “sugar-detox” is an oversimplification of how our body utilizes carbohydrates. It is fear mongering and I don’t see it eliciting sustainable, positive behavior change.
Let me explain why I felt compelled to break this down.
Our society is very focused on “health” and “wellness” so long as its fitting into the ideal. We tend to be far too concerned about someone’s “health” if their body is outside of the ideal or what we have come to deem as “healthy.” On the other hand, people are very congratulatory of those who strive constantly towards a more outwardly acceptable appearance. (Cue Becky’s before and after photo and the slew of Facebook comments telling her how amazing she is regardless of knowing whether the behavior enacted to get there was sustainable or healthy.) The thing is health ain’t got no size y’all!
Do you want to know what I think is more dangerous than sugar? Demonizing sugar. Or any type of food. Placing morality on food. Suggesting that there is a level of purity to be achieved. It’s a lot of hooey and its an ineffective healthcare strategy.
At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders in the U.S and at least 1 person dies every 62 minutes as a direct result from an eating disorder. And this is only accounting for those who are diagnosed. (ANAD)
Sometimes disordered eating behavior can be put in a tiny little box labeled “healthy” and wrapped with a suffocating bow called “wellness.” In my opinion, “sugar-detox” has the strong potential to be that box.
Who is being reached with this broad-sweeping, nutrition propaganda anyway? My hunch is that a “sugar-detox” may appeal to the upper-middle class person who has access to Whole Foods and a farmers market, especially a person who is attracted to diet culture and persuaded by the idea of “getting in shape,” or “losing weight,” etc. But this type of rhetoric doesn’t necessarily translate to the single mom living in a food desert pinching pennies to feed her kids. What usually does trickle down the pipeline is judgement and shame which is likely worse for someone’s health than a chocolate bar. “Wanna know a bigger predictor of disease and health than weight? ZIP CODE. Where you live, what privileges you hold are bigger predictors of health than BMI.” (Hartley)
By using strong, manipulative language with regard to food (such as a “sugar-detox”) we are helping neither the person at risk for an eating disorder nor the person who would benefit from real, legitimate nutrition information.
Remember that part of having a healthy diet is enjoying your food and engaging socially while eating. Its about listening to your internal hunger cues, asking yourself what kinds of foods may satisfy you at any given moment. This may sometimes mean a big salad and other times a big cookie (and sometimes both). Nutrition is not black and white; it is individual. If you see extreme language used with food, question it. Ask yourself if it would actually make you healthy and happy. Ask yourself if it is sustainable long term. Ask yourself if depriving yourself of any type of food has ever worked out in the long-run before.
Check out Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch for more information on a balanced eating approach.
References:
Image: https://content.byui.edu/file/a236934c-3c60-4fe9-90aa-d343b3e3a640/1/module3/readings/carbohydrates.html
Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism: Gropper, Smith, Groff
http://www.anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/
Antonia Hartly at Instagram handle: @feministnutritionist referencing Linda Bacon