Research has shown that there is no difference in absorption of a simple sugar as compared to a complex carbohydrate. This is because the intestine has such high levels of digestive enzymes that the complex carbohydrates are rapidly broken down to simple sugars. Insulin is essential to allow sugar to pass into the cells of the body to be burned for energy. Thus, the balance between all carbohydrates eaten and the insulin dosage is one of the major keys to diabetes management. More detailed knowledge about starches and simple sugars is helpful.
Starches are substances made up of hundreds of sugar units.
Sources of starch are breads, noodles, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes, and starchy vegetables such as corn and legumes. A diet high in simple sugars contributes to dental cavities and provides few vitamins and minerals. As well as providing few vitamins and minerals, many high sugar foods also contain large amounts of fat. Thus, a nutritious diet limits the amount of high sugar foods. There are many different kinds of sugars found in foods.