Today we are going to talk about sugar. What is sugar – what are the different types of sugars, how do they affect the body, our hormones, and also obviously how do they affect our blood sugar. We’re going to talk about “natural” sugars vs processed sugars. We’re also going to talk about carbohydrates. Why do they matter and how do they contribute to the total body’s sugar burden. We are also going to address why we should even care about sugar. This is going to be a fun and interesting topic, at least in my opinion. I feel like it is a necessary subject so we are better informed and can make informed decisions regarding our intake of sugar, especially as we are in full swing of the holiday season.

Just a quick disclaimer that this podcast is meant for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or be a substitute for medical advice from your practitioner. I am a practitioner, but not your practitioner.

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**Interesting articles for more information**

Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/23/12/10.2741/4704

Pancreatic regulation of glucose homeostasis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892884/

Effect of different types of sugar on gut physiology and microbiota in overfed goose: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8187246/pdf/main.pdf

Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior: https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/23/12/10.2741/4704

Hidden in Plain Sight: https://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/hidden-in-plain-sight/

Yogurts vary widely in sugar content, survey shows: https://www.yogurtinnutrition.com/yogurts-vary-widely-in-sugar-content-survey-shows/

Coconut sugar: Is it good for you?: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323047#impact-on-blood-glucose-levels

What is maltodextrin and is it safe?: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322426#which-foods-contain-maltodextrin

Glycemic Index Research and GI News: https://glycemicindex.com/gi-search/

The lowdown on glycemic index and glycemic load: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-lowdown-on-glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load

Human brain sialoglycan ligand for CD33, a microglial inhibitory Siglec implicated in Alzheimer’s disease: https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(22)00400-8/fulltext

Increased Added Sugar Consumption Is Common in Parkinson's Disease: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.628845/full

High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet Disrupts the Preovulatory Hormone Surge and Induces Cystic Ovaries in Cycling Female Rats: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5740526/