Doctor explains what sugar does to your body and health after just one spoonful

Sugar is in many foods and drinks we consume on the daily - and even when you try to avoid sweetness, sugar alternatives are also found in thousands of 'sugar-free' products.On the latest ZOE Shorts podcast, CEO and cofounder Jonathan Wolf spoke to Dr Sarah Berry about the various alternatives to sugar and what she thinks is the best version.The pair also discussed what happens if you just ate a spoonful of sugar whole or dissolved into a hot drink, like a tea or coffee.Jonathan asked Dr Berry: "Could you just explain very simply, like what happens when I eat a spoonful of sugar or dissolved in my coffee?

What happens to my body and how does that affect my health?"Dr Berry detailed all the affects sugar has on your body after just one spoonful.

Read on below to find out more.Dr Berry said: "So firstly, what happens is you have sweet taste receptors in your mouth. That say, ‘Jonathan, this tastes super yummy’.

I want more."After the initial reaction, the sugar enters the intestine and goes into the bloodstream, where it is broken down into fructose and glucose.Fructose, or fruit sugar, is the naturally occurring sugar that is found in fruits - it is absorbed into the liver, and is then either turned into glucose or if it is a very high amount, it is converted into fat.Glucose enters your bloodstream, which is why we refer to it as "blood sugar", according to Dr Berry.As the sugar is broken down and enters the bloodstream, a "rapid peak in circulating blood sugar" occurs and peaks at around 15 minutes after consumption.The blood sugar then returns to its baseline, and Dr Berry warned: "Where this becomes a problem is we know that if it's excessive, in terms of the size of the peak, then you can actually have unfavourable