I honestly felt overwhelmed researching this post. I’m diabetic so I already KNOW that sugar matters. But I can’t help feeling furious. This knowledge is out there and companies are STILL happily adding excessive amounts to our foods, marketing it to small children, AND getting rich in the process.

Anyway, the science can get a bit complicated but here goes.

What is sugar anyway?

Sugar is used as a generic name for sweet tasting soluble carbohydrates, also known as simple carbohydrates or simple sugars. Simple sugars include glucose and fructose. There are also compound sugars like sucrose, which is glucose and fructose combined. 

Fructose, glucose and sucrose are all found in plants, but the levels of each will vary.

However, when you think of sugar you probably picture white granulated table sugar. This is sucrose which has been extracted and refined from either sugarcane or sugar beet.

Oh and sugar, by the way, is a simple carbohydrate, meaning the body can access the sugar quickly. All carbohydrates that you eat will be turned into glucose (sugar) by your body.

What happens when we eat glucose?

Eating glucose causes our bodies to release insulin. Insulin carries glucose to the cells so it can be used for energy.  Glucose is the main source of energy for the body’s cells, tissues and organs. Cells can either use the energy straight away or store it for later use. Excess glucose that isn’t used or stored for later is converted into fat and stored in body fat cells.

What happens when we eat sucrose?

Sucrose is a compound sugar made up of glucose and fructose. Whilst our cells can turn the glucose into energy, the fructose has to be turned into glucose by the liver before we can use it. According to Robert Lustig, this can be a problem. If the liver receives too much fructose too quickly it will turn it into fat. The fat is then stored in the liver.

Why does it matter?

Too much sugar is bad for our general health. Excess sugar in our blood results in excess insulin which in time can lead to insulin resistance (which means your body no longer responds as it should to insulin). Excess fat stored in the liver can lead to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, oxidative stress, inflammation, elevated uric acid levels and increased blood pressure.

Too much sugar is also bad news for fertility. According to Gita West, high blood sugar can upset the hormonal balance required for ovulation, leading to irregular or absent periods. The resulting high levels of insulin can cause testosterone to increase which interferes with the development of follicles (the sacs in the ovaries where the eggs develop). The body can also mistake the excess insulin for luteinising hormone (LH) which decreases production of LH and interferes with ovulation. High blood sugar can also damage reproductive cells including eggs, leading to poor egg quality.

Is all sugar bad?

Actually no. Firstly, we need glucose for energy (we don’t need fructose though). Secondly, there is a difference between naturally occurring sugar in our food, such as the fructose in fruit, and free sugar that is not inside the cells of the foods that we eat. 

What happens when we eat fructose in fruit?

This bit’s important. We associate fructose with fruit and I definitely don’t want to be responsible for anyone cutting down the amount of whole fruits they eat!

Fruit can contain glucose, fructose and sucrose but it would be difficult to eat enough fruit to reach harmful levels of sugar.  The sugar in fruit is also accompanied by plenty of fibre which slows down the absorption, and a multitude of beneficial nutrients which off-set any harmful effects.  

Fruit juice on the other hand can deliver a lot of sugar very quickly (aka bad news for the liver), so whole fruits are absolutely better for your health. In fact, they are of course great for your health as they contain a wealth of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

In short, please keep eating (whole) fruit.

What can you do about it?

Well you can’t cut glucose out completely as your body needs it, but the real problem is too much sugar too quickly. So here’s what you CAN do:

• Avoid foods with free or added sugars, e.g. sweets, chocolate, cake, icecream, biscuits, hot chocolate, etc.
• Start checking the ingredients on the food you buy. Food contains more of the ingredients at the start of the list. So if you are going to buy something with added sugar, choose an option with sugar further down the list. Or compare products and choose the product that contains the least amount of sugar.
• Earn your carbs – exercise before or after you’ve eaten high carb foods (e.g. banana, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc) to help your body to use the energy instead of storing it as fat. When I first started monitoring my sugar levels I was surprised at the immediate impact a twenty minute walk or five minute cycle had on my blood sugar levels.
• Eat whole fruits instead of fruit smoothies or juices
• Use mashed up banana to sweeten foods instead of sugar.
• Swap white for wholewheat and wholemeal – the body breaks carbs down into glucose more slowly if they are made from the whole grain
• Combine your foods – eating sugar or carbs with fibre, protein and fat helps to slow down the absorption, giving you a longer but less severe blood sugar spike which your body is more able to cope with.

Sugar has been scientifically proven to be addictive. It is hard to resist! See the Weave Your Web programme page for support with motivation. Subscribe to the Weave Your Web blog to receive weekly diet and lifestyle advice and inspiration to support your fertility journey.