### Carbohydrates: One of the Five Major Nutrients
In recent years, low-carb diets have become popular, and there is often a misconception that low-carb means restricting carbohydrates. However, strictly speaking, carbohydrates are not equivalent to sugars.
Carbohydrates are composed of sugars and dietary fiber. Both sugars and dietary fiber are very important nutrients.
However, for pets with tumors, it is crucial to choose the “type” of sugar carefully.
### Types of Sugars
Sugars can be classified based on the number of glucose molecules they contain: monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and polysaccharides.
**Types of Sugars:**
**1. Monosaccharides**
Glucose, fructose, and galactose
**2. Disaccharides**
Sucrose (table sugar) = glucose + fructose
Maltose = two glucose molecules
Lactose = glucose + galactose
**3. Trisaccharides**
Oligosaccharides
**4. Polysaccharides**
Starch, dextrin, glycogen, and sugar alcohols
One important point to consider when consuming these sugars is where they are broken down into glucose.
– **Monosaccharides and Disaccharides**
Monosaccharides and disaccharides turn into glucose in the small intestine. Once broken down into glucose, they are absorbed through the small intestine and used as an energy source in the body.
They are broken down and absorbed faster than fats, making them suitable for quickly replenishing energy and raising blood sugar levels during intense exercise or hypoglycemia.
However, glucose is not only the sole nutrient source for cancer cells (tumor cells) but also raises blood sugar levels, stimulating insulin secretion, which in turn promotes the occurrence, growth, and metastasis of cancer.
Stimulating insulin secretion also puts a burden on the pancreas, increasing the risk of diabetes when the pancreas becomes exhausted.
Additionally, AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products) produced from “glyceraldehyde,” a metabolic product of fructose, are highly toxic and generate a lot of reactive oxygen species. This cell damage caused by reactive oxygen species may also increase cancer risk.
Moreover, glucose turns into neutral fat due to insulin, so excessive intake of glucose can lead to obesity.
Obesity can cause inflammation and various other symptoms, so it is important to be mindful of excessive glucose intake — particularly monosaccharides and disaccharides.
– **Oligosaccharides**
Oligosaccharides are not broken down by enzymes but are decomposed and utilized as food by beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and butyrate-producing bacteria in the large intestine. When beneficial bacteria increase, they produce short-chain fatty acids like acetic acid, butyric acid, and propionic acid.
The production of fatty acids causes the intestinal environment to become slightly acidic, inhibiting the activity of harmful bacteria and activating intestinal peristalsis, thereby improving the intestinal environment.
Butyric acid is expected to act on regulatory T cells (Treg), which are involved in autoimmune diseases, to help prevent the immune system from running amok.
Supporting beneficial bacteria with oligosaccharides can consequently lead to increased short-chain fatty acid production, essential for improving the intestinal environment.
Various types of oligosaccharides include isomalt oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, milk oligosaccharides, raffinose (beet oligosaccharide), and kestose (an extract from oligosaccharides that selectively provides nutrients to beneficial bacteria like bifidobacteria).
Be cautious when buying commercially available oligosaccharides, as they may contain other sugars like glucose-fructose syrup. Always check the ingredients.
– **Polysaccharides**
Polysaccharides have a structure containing many monosaccharides, so they take longer to break down, resulting in a more gradual absorption.
Therefore, they do not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels like monosaccharides, but they still eventually break down into monosaccharides, leading to obesity if consumed excessively.
Among the polysaccharides, starch known as “resistant starch” is not digested in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine, where it activates intestinal bacteria, improves constipation, and helps prevent rapid blood sugar spikes. Because it has properties of both insoluble and soluble fiber, it is sometimes referred to as a hyper-fiber or comfortable starch.
Resistant starch is found in legumes, grains, and tubers. When these foods are cooked and gelatinized (converted to alpha-starch), they become digestible and can cause an increase in blood glucose levels. However, by cooling them again, the starch recrystallizes and becomes less digestible, effectively turning into fiber.
Since legumes, grains, and tubers also contain other carbohydrates, it’s important not to consume them in excess. However, they do serve as a source of resistant starch.
A deficiency in dietary fiber can also lead to a deterioration in gut health. Therefore, when incorporating these foods into your diet, keep the portions small and make sure to cool them after cooking before consumption.
Among grains, a new variety called “BarleyMax” has been developed to have a higher content of resistant starch, so using this grain might be beneficial.
There are various types of carbohydrates, so it is vital to understand which ones to limit when it comes to ‘carbohydrate restriction.’
For pets with tumors, it is important to minimize carbohydrate intake as much as possible, but optimizing gut health is also a fast track to stabilizing the immune system. This might involve actively incorporating oligosaccharides in their diet. Additionally, using low-GI carbohydrate sources can be beneficial as an energy and calorie source.
Do check the amount of carbohydrates and fiber in the food your pet usually eats and use this information to review and improve their daily diet.
