So I was looking at post, which says:
But it's also true that dried fruit contains a lot of sugar, so you should eat it always with something that has fat (oils, nuts, avocados, etc) so that your blood sugar levels won't fluctuate too much. Unless you eat it very slowly through the day.
From the post and several others it seems like the general recommendation is that carbs, especially (and I'm spectulating here) high GI carbohydrates coming from specific kinds of fruits should be eaten along with things that are gonna have fat in them.
Is this because eating fat along with carbohydrates (which by themselves would cause sugar levels to rise above desired levels) will keep blood sugar levels from rising too much? How does this work?
Well... There is A LOT of factors to consider in regards to the influence on insulin release and the facilitation of glucose transports into cells...
To keep it simple this example is only referencing the monosacciharide, glucose.
1. Why does my blood sugar rise in conjunction with carbohydrate intake? (simple/complex)
You consume some food that is rich in macronutrients and one of those carbohydrates was glucose! Now upon digestion this glucose molecule is circulating within your blood stream. The blood sugar continues to rise which eventually stimulates the pancreas. The pancreas releases two insulin molecules. These two molecules bind tyrosine kinase alpha receptor. This cascades into stimulating 3 phosphate molecules that travel to IRS-1 receptor. This provokes a signal to GLUT2/4. Once the signal is interpreted, it opens the facilitation for the transport of glucose into the cell. (insulin signals the cells to utilize the sugar to fill energy stores ie. your glycogen storage)
2. Fats with their respective structures (trans,saturated,unsaturated,mono/poly) exhibit absolutely no activity in regards to blood sugar concentration. The fats are generally stored in adipose tissue. What dictates fatty acid oxidation/mobilization and storage is a complex metabolic hormone axis. It is technically a negative feedback loop, but it gets weird because of so many genetic variances. Also, excessively poor diet for prolonged periods of time can unfortunately cause downregulation/desensitization to the receptors and the hormones. (Type II Diabetes)
3. As long as you have a fully functioning pancreas then your blood sugar will never rise to a point where you could be diagnosed with diabetic-induced ketoacidosis. (blood sugar gets too high your pH will lower too aggressively for your body to control and your blood becomes acidic in nature...insulin prevents this)
4. Insulin sensitivity is a constantly varying factor in the body. Sustained periods of carbohydrate depletion/restriction induces a temporary state of hypersensitivity in regards to insulin activity. Also, periodized carbohydrate consumption along with periods of pure carbohydrate depletion will initiate a mechanism called glycogen super-compensation. (the cells retain a supraphysiological amount of glycogen due to a perceived period of starvation)
Whoever gave you the notion that its imperative to consume fats and carbohydrates together is....lacking the understanding of macronutrients. Majority of foods contain all three macronutrients, but in varieties.
Remember this: Carbohydrate 1g= 4 calories; Protein 1g= 4 calories; Fat 1g= 9 calories
(alcohol isn't a macronutrient, but its 7 calories per gram)
Here is one study that disproves the ideology associated with utlizing fat/carbohydrates to facilitate a slower digestion. It may slow the digestion rate, but the insulin response is not mitigated.
P.S: I don't want to sound like I'm trying to senselessly argue, but nutritional science is a specialty to me. As well as the study of cellular metabolism. Most people should be glad they don't understand the complexity associated with digestion or else they'd be driving themselves crazy over zealously trying to manipulate every eating variable.
"(1) the rate of absorption of carbohydrate is a major determinant of post-prandial metabolic responses even in the presence of fat, (2) fat-stimulated GIP secretion does not potentiate glucose-induced insulin secretion, and (3) the potentiation of the insulin response to glucose when carbohydrate is co-ingested with fat is consistent with the well-documented insulin resistance associated with high fat diets...."