Sugar — The Sweetest Trap

The best legal drug out there or the sneakiest poison in our food?

Are sugars really that bad? They sure can be. The amount of sugar we consume every day is very bad for our health. If you eat sugars from carbohydrates, such as potato and rice, then you have some fruit, and add some cookies or chocolate later, you are probably eating much more sugar than is recommended. If this is your usual diet, you are on the road that definitely does not lead to a long, healthy life.

What are sugars?

Sugars are sweet carbohydrates that we eat in a variety of foods. They can be simple sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose) or compound sugars (sucrose, lactose, maltose). Table sugar is for example a compound sugar.

Where can we find them?

Our body breaks all carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, cereals) into sugar. Table (regular) sugar is also derived from the plant sugar cane. We can also find sugars in milk as lactose.

It is not so much that sugars (such as fructose in fruit) are bad, but it is about added sugars from the processed foods. When we talk about added sugars, they are used in many products as a sweetener. However, sugar is also a preservative, texture modifier, fermentation substrate, flavoring, coloring agent, bulking agent. For example, meat usually does not contain sugar, but processed meat (deli meat, chicken nuggets, etc.) by rule has a lot of added sugar.

So, it can be found in a variety of foods. Sometimes it seems as if you cannot avoid sugars, even if you want to!

The diseases linked with (over)consumption of sugars

Sugars are linked to obesity (obviously), insulin resistance, diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease, heart problems, cancer and even asthma.

Some scientists may still claim that there is no direct correlation between sugar consumption and many health problems we are facing today and that further studies are needed. However, it is safe to assume that sugar is one of the main culprits and contributing factors in causing these diseases.

According to dr. Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, sugar is the cause of many heart problems.

“Basically, the higher the intake of added sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease.”

The relation between sugar and other health issues is also clear:

“The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke,” says Dr. Hu.

How much sugar do we eat?

An average American man consumes 24 tablespoons or 384 calories of added sugar per day. The largest amount allowed is around 9 tablespoons or 150 calories per day! It is no wonder that so many people have such a big problem with obesity.

Sugar addiction

So, what is it about sugars? Why do we have such a love/hate relationship with them? You know that “can’t live with them, can’t live without them” type of a relationship. Of course, they are very sweet and tasty. But do we need them?

Strictly speaking, we do not need sugars or carbohydrates, for that matter. Unlike fats and proteins, they are not essential nutrients. We can get all the building material and the energy that we need from fats and proteins.

We can find the answer in the following: sugar addiction is no longer considered to be a myth. It is even compared to cocaine addiction. Because of its dopamine effect, it has a huge impact on our psyche and our body. It creates a “high’’, an energy surge and feeling of well being, which is followed by a big drop, and often leads to binge eating habits. If you stop consuming sugar, you will experience the withdrawal phase, just like other types of addictions.

Therefore, you should go easy on yourself. If you crave sweets very often, you may be a sugar addict. Trust me, you are not the only one!\

Bottom line

How should we handle this whole sugar issue? Moderation seems to be the key, just like in many other aspects of life. In this study, it is stated that

“one should not only be careful while consuming excess amounts of sugar (more than the recommended) in one’s diet, but rather advertently avoid it.”

You do not have to completely sugar from your diet to be healthy and fit. Eating complex carbohydrates such as rice or sweet potato can be very beneficial for you. Different kinds of fruit are also full of vitamins, minerals and can satisfy your desire for sweetness. All kinds of berries are especially good, because of their low Glycemic Index (GI) and support of your insulin sensitivity.

When it comes to sweeteners, you should avoid table sugar and artificial sweeteners. Honey, stevia, monk fruit and sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, etc.) are much better choices.

You know, ancient Greeks have not said in vain:

“nothing in excess”.

Be moderate in everything. Same substance can be a cure and a poison. It only depends on the amount.

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24493081/

https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/sugar-addiction/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309490279_Effect_of_sugar_intake_towards_human_health