Brouns Fred
Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Front Nutr. 2020 Jul 6;7:75. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00075. eCollection 2020.
To understand the effects of saccharides on our metabolism and health, we need a clear understanding of what they are, how they differ, and why some types are deemed "less healthy" and others "better for health." There are various ways to look at this topic. Firstly, saccharides can be classified according to their degree of polymerization (DP). This classification is useful when qualitative or quantitative analysis and calculation of intakes are required or for food-labeling definitions. However, it does not account for the fact that saccharides with a similar DP can differ in molecular composition, which will influence digestion, absorption, and metabolism. Secondly, another approach widely used in the biomedical and nutritional sciences is therefore a physiological classification, which addresses the rate and degree of digestibility and absorption, the glycemic response, and the metabolic fate. The individual health status also plays a role in this respect. An active, lean person will have a metabolic response that differs from an inactive person with overweight and insulin resistance. However, this approach will not give a complete answer either because the characteristics of the matrix/meal in which these carbohydrates (CHOs) are present will also influence the responses of our body. Thirdly, one can also rank CHOs by comparing their functional/technological properties, such as relative sweetness, viscosity, and solubility. Understanding CHO characteristics and related physiological responses will help understand health and disease implications. Therefore, a brief outline of different carbohydrate classifications is presented. This outline will be placed in the context of potential overall effects after consumption. The answer to the question whether we should we eat less of certain sugars depends on the angle from which you look at this matter; for example, do you address this question from a single molecular characteristic point of view or from a meal quality perspective? Looking at one particular CHO characteristic will almost always lead to a different conclusion (e.g., the labeling of fructose as toxic) than evaluating from a "total perspective" (fructose has adverse effects in certain conditions). Examples are given to help understand this matter for the benefit of justified dietary/food-based recommendations.
为了了解糖类对我们新陈代谢和健康的影响，我们需要清楚地知道它们是什么、彼此有何不同，以及为什么某些类型被认为“不太健康”而其他类型“对健康更好”。看待这个话题有多种方式。首先，糖类可以根据其聚合度（DP）进行分类。当需要进行定性或定量分析以及摄入量计算，或者用于食品标签定义时，这种分类很有用。然而，它没有考虑到具有相似DP的糖类在分子组成上可能不同，而这会影响消化、吸收和新陈代谢。其次，生物医学和营养科学中广泛使用的另一种方法是生理分类，该分类涉及消化率和吸收率、血糖反应以及代谢归宿的速率和程度。个体健康状况在这方面也起作用。一个活跃、体型瘦的人与一个不活跃、超重且有胰岛素抵抗的人会有不同的代谢反应。然而，这种方法也不能给出完整答案，因为这些碳水化合物（CHO）所处的基质/膳食的特性也会影响我们身体的反应。第三，人们还可以通过比较CHO的功能/技术特性，如相对甜度、粘度和溶解度，来对其进行排序。了解CHO的特性以及相关的生理反应将有助于理解对健康和疾病的影响。因此，本文简要概述了不同的碳水化合物分类。这个概述将置于食用后潜在总体影响的背景下。我们是否应该少吃某些糖这个问题的答案取决于你看待此事的角度；例如，你是从单一分子特征的角度还是从膳食质量的角度来处理这个问题？从一个特定的CHO特性来看几乎总是会得出与从“总体角度”评估不同的结论（例如，将果糖标记为有毒）（果糖在某些情况下有不良影响）。文中给出了一些例子以帮助理解此事，以便做出合理的基于饮食/食物的建议。
