Our Body Runs on Glucose

Sometimes, in our anxiety to reduce fats, we forget that our body runs on glucose. Without that, we cannot function.

Glucose is derived from the digestion of sugar and starch in carbohydrates in noodles, pasta, bread, rice and even vegetable and fruits.

When we consume carbohydrates, digestion begins in the mouth. An enzyme called salivary amylase is produced which converts the starches in the food to sugars like dextrins, maltose and maltotriose.

Further digestion occurs in the small intestine. The pancreas secrets the enzyme amylase which breaks carbohydrates into simple sugar like maltose, lactose and sucrose.

As these sugars move down the intestine, the enzymes maltase, lactase, and sucrase respectively break maltose, lactose and sucrose down into smaller molecules. These are eventually converted to the simplest form of sugar - glucose - and absorted throught the intestinal walls into the bloodstream.

So, simply cutting down on calories is not necessarily good for us. We need to understand what our body needs to function properly, and then plan a diet that is sensible and healthy. This means that it must have enough glucose to help us function, sufficient vitamins and minerals to help us replenish what is consumed.

One way to help regulate the uptake of sugar is to use carbo-inhibitors. This is good if we have a habit of eating a lot of rice or pasta. But remember, combine your diet with a proper exercise program.