Saccharide

Saccharide is a term for a sugar molecule, classified by its structural complexity from simple monosaccharides like glucose, fructose, ribose, and galactose, to disaccharides such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose, through oligosaccharides (short chains), and finally to polysaccharides like starch, cellulose, and glycogen. 1 Peat argued that the common vilification of sugars, particularly sucrose, is a misinterpretation driven by studies that fail to account for the confounding effects of polyunsaturated fats in the diet. 3 He noted that while toxic effects can be produced in animals fed extreme 60% sucrose diets, many studies exaggerate these findings or misread adaptive metabolic signs as harmful. 3

Peat emphasized that the fructose component of sucrose is fundamentally anti-stress and anti-insulin stimulating because it is rapidly taken up by cells to promote glycogen storage, thereby steadying blood sugar without requiring significant insulin secretion. 6 He contrasted this with pure starch or glucose, which have a much higher glycemic impact and demand a greater insulin response. 6 The potassium naturally present in fruit functions with an insulin-like action, further easing the burden on the pancreas. 6 Peat maintained that a minimum of 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrate per day is necessary for basic health, with individuals possessing a high metabolic rate potentially requiring closer to a pound daily. 5

The relationship between saccharides and gut health is dual-natured. Peat cited the bacteriologist René Dubos, who demonstrated that starving yeast like Candida albicans causes them to send out invasive filaments in search of sugar, suggesting that dietary sugar can be a defensive measure against systemic infection. 4 Conversely, poorly digested starches and fibers that reach the lower intestine can feed bacterial overgrowth and increase the production of endotoxin, a toxic lipopolysaccharide composed of a sugar chain with attached fatty acids. 2 Peat explained that quickly digested sugars from fruit are largely absorbed in the upper intestine, leaving less substrate for problematic bacterial fermentation deeper in the gut. 7

In the context of systemic metabolism, Peat connected saccharide biochemistry to tissue integrity through the thyroid axis. He described how inadequate thyroid function leads to the overproduction of mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins, mucous-like molecules that accumulate in joints and blood vessels, causing deformities and rigidity. 8 Correcting thyroid function, alongside youth-associated hormones like progesterone and pregnenolone, could reverse these saccharide-based tissue distortions in a matter of weeks. 8 Peat also cautioned that non-caloric sweeteners, while chemically harmless in themselves, can trigger a stress response by activating sugar-metabolizing systems through taste alone, confusing the body into releasing cortisol when no glucose arrives. 4