Sucrose raises your blood sugar because it is a combination of glucose and fructose. Glucose is the type of sugar that is found in your blood, and fructose is the type of sugar that is found in fruit. You may think that means you cannot eat sucrose as a diabetic, but, surprisingly, most diabetic nutritional bodies state it can be substituted for other carbohydrates. It is important to clear any dietary changes with your doctor.
Sucrose Explained
Sucrose is the scientific name for table sugar. Table sugar is made up of equal parts of glucose and fructose. In the small intestine, enzymes break sucrose apart into glucose, and the glucose gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream, according to Colorado State University. It immediately raises your circulating blood sugar level and causes the body to respond to lower that level. The mechanism for that action is the insulin response.
Insulin Response
Your body detects high levels of glucose in the bloodstream and then releases insulin to lower the level back to normal. Insulin acts like a key to a cell. It opens up the door to a cell that allows the glucose molecule to enter. Insulin also encourages the liver to store glucose in the form of glycogen for future use. Once glucose levels are back to normal, insulin is not secreted anymore, and the blood sugar level remains constant.
Diabetes
There are two types of diabetes mellitus, and both are the result of trouble with the hormone insulin. Type 1 diabetes results from an absence of insulin. Whether it is from destruction of the pancreas that produces the hormone or some other cause, the body cannot regulate blood sugar on its own. It requires insulin from an outside source. Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance. The cells of the body do not respond to the insulin anymore, regardless of how much the body produces, and the blood sugar rises unchecked. Many factors contribute to type 2 diabetes, and researchers believe obesity is one of them, according to Colorado State University.
Sucrose in the Diet
Many people think that if you have diabetes, you can no longer eat things that have sucrose, or table sugar, in them ever again. However, many nutritional bodies disagree. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Dietetic Association agree that sucrose can replace other carbohydrates in your diet, according to the National Guideline Clearinghouse. This means you can substitute it for other carbs. The American Diabetes Association also states that diabetes medications or insulin should cover the sucrose for any spikes in blood sugar. The American Dietetic Association states that if 10 to 35 percent of calories come from sucrose, it does not have a negative impact on blood sugar when substituted for starches.
