Eating a diet high in sugar and starch does not cause diabetes, but it might cause you to gain unwanted pounds. Sugar is naturally found in some foods such as milk and in starchy vegetables. Too much added sugar, and even naturally occurring sugar, can make your diet unhealthy by causing health problems such as tooth decay, poor nutrition and weight gain.
Sugar: Natural Ingredient
It might be surprising to you that sugar is a natural ingredient in your diet. It is practically unavoidable. Even foods that do not taste sweet can contain sugar. Sugar in milk is called lactose, naturally occurring sugar in fruit is called fructose and sugar added to food is sucrose. Sugar is a carbohydrate, which means it is a source of needed energy in your body. Carbs should make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories from sources such as complex carbohydrates, or starches, and natural sugars.
Starches -- the Good and the Bad
Starches are simple sugars bonded together that occur naturally in vegetables, grains, and cooked dry beans and peas. They are usually referred to as complex carbohydrates. Other sources of starches in your diet include bread, pasta, corn, pretzels, potatoes, rice, crackers, cereal, tortillas, beans and yams. Starches can be good sources of nutrients such as selenium, potassium, magnesium and fiber in your diet if they are whole grains, low in fat and not processed.
Foods High in Sugar and Starch
Limit foods that contain refined grains and added sugar. These are packed with calories and low in nutrients. Processed foods go through refinement that strips out healthy parts of the grain, nutrients and fiber. Foods such as cake, cookies, doughnuts, candy and some breakfast cereals are high in sugar.
Use the diabetes exchange list to control the amount of sugar and starch in your diet. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends eight servings of starches a day for a 1,600- to 2,000-calorie diet. One serving of a starchy food contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate and 80 calories. That means one serving of a starch is 1/4 of a bagel, 1/2 of an English muffin or 1/2 cup of corn.
Warning
Reading the nutrition facts label on foods will help you understand how much sugar, relative to dietary fiber, is in foods. While using the glycemic index can be helpful in limiting sugary and starchy food in your diet, it should not be the only tool you use. Combine foods high on the glycemic index with foods low on the glycemic index to help you manage your blood glucose levels.
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