Should we eat sugar?
We all know eating excess sugar causes a lot of harm to our bodies. Many amongst us recognize sugar only in its refined crystallized form as we see it. However, sugar is almost “omnipresent” in every processed food.
Sugar is an enemy of good health. Despite knowing its ill effects we over-consume it. Sometimes it makes an unsuspected entry in our food. We do not realize how much sugar is contained in sugary drinks, dairy products have added sugar, Candies, cookies, pastries, ice cream, beverages like energy drinks, and juices.
Sugar is also used as a natural preservative to keep processed food last longer and prevent it from spoiling.
Sugar in its natural form is found in whole foods. In the form of fructose in fruits and lactose in dairy products. Some amount of sugar is also present in, vegetables and grains. The sugar added to processed foods and beverages has no nutritional value. These are just empty calories.
How does sugar mask its identity and makes a backdoor entry into our diets?
The surplus sugar secretly enters our body, as sometimes the labels on processed foods are not truly revealing the sugar contents. You may be surprised to know that sugar is found in processed foods in various forms such as
- Agave Syrup
- Barley malt
- Beet sugar
- Blackstrap molasses
- Caramel
- Carob syrup
- Castor sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Corn syrup
- Crystalline Fructose
- Date sugar
- Demerara sugar
- Dextrose
- Diastatic malt
- Ethyl maltol
- Florida crystals
- Fructose
- Fruit juices and concentrates of fruit juices
- Galactose
- Grape sugar
- High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
- Icing sugar
- juice crystals
- Lactose
- Malt syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Muscovado sugar
- Panela sugar
- Refiner’s syrup
- Rice syrup
- Sorghum syrup
- Sucanat
- Sucrose
- Treacle
- Turbinado sugar
You can see how sugar makes covert entries in our foods disguised in different chemical names.
Why do we take so much sugar?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate. Our body’s energy needs are fulfilled by carbohydrates. The functioning of our central nervous system is also dependent upon glucose. Glucose is formed in our body due to the digestion of carbohydrates. Food is fuel for our bodies. But many of us have food cravings due to stressful situations also. The temptation to eat cakes, pastries, doughnuts, and other sugary foodstuff increases our dopamine temporarily. We become addicted to the sweetness of sugary food items. Our cravings are also impacted by advertisements by the food industry and we are allured to eat the stuff on the basis of endorsements by celebrities. Eating sugary foods increases our energy levels by raising the level of our blood sugar. It makes us addicted.
Our body’s system supplies glucose to cells in our body for energy needs. For this purpose, the pancreas plays a pivotal role and makes insulin. Thereafter, blood sugar level comes down, and consequently, the body craves more sugar to re-attain the kick given by sugar.
Uncontrolled intake of refined starches is also an equally potent enemy. The starches in white bread, burgers, white rice, white flour pasta, and simple carbs can also rapidly get converted to sugar Our addiction to sugar can be due to the feel-good factor provided by the intake of sugar. Our increased intake of sugar is associated with our psychological needs and we are emotionally dependent upon it for feeling good. Our mind feels rewarded when we eat sugary stuff. It raises our dopamine and the mind finds pleasure in the activity of eating sugary stuff. The cells in the brain are wired in such a way that they again long for the same food to re-enjoy the reward of intake of sugar. Once we do such things again and again mind gets addicted to it and craves more of it.
Sugar is found to be linked to many ill effects in our body: including the following:
- Tooth decay,
- Rise in inflammation in the body,
- Joints pain and rheumatoid arthritis;
- Aging of skin, acne, and pigmentation,
- Obesity
- High blood pressure,
- Cardiovascular problems,
- Stroke
- Acidity and other digestion problems including bloating
- Hormonal imbalance,
- Fatty liver,
- Mood swings
- depression
Many of us are willing to cut back on added sugar. We fail because of several reasons. The first part of the battle against sugar is one’s resolve to overpower the cravings for sugar. The necessary step in this direction shall be identifying the individual’s specific cause and fixing that. We are discussing some common causes which are faced by the majority of people:
Some of us eat food articles like cakes, pastries, sugary drinks, cookies ice creams, and breakfast bars on regular basis. It is somewhat difficult to completely remove these items from the eating routine. However, mindful eating can make a considerable difference in the intake of sugar. Small steps in the right direction can lead us to victory over the battle of sugar.
TIPS TO WIN THE BATTLE OF SUGAR
- Take your morning tea coffee without or with less sugar: Sugar stimulates our body and we are attached to its need for giving us a kick. We can remove or halve our morning sugar tea or coffee. Further, some of us have the habit of eating cookies/rusks/doughnuts with tea. This compounds the problem. This ritual has to be broken by opting for alternative items.
- The cereals available in the market are mostly sugar dense. These have to be replaced with some protein-rich breakfasts. Even a breakfast comprising of fruits or simply steamed vegetables can do magic.
- We are in the habit of drinking sweetened beverages when thirsty. Actually, we need water and our need for water has taken the color of a craving for sweetened sodas/drinks/juices/energy drinks. Instead, we can include the alternatives viz lemon water or coconut water. The magic to deal with thirst can be perfectly done by plain water alone.
- Hidden sugars-The above-mentioned names clearly suggest that sugar can enter our diets without our actually knowing. Sometimes we do not read the labels at all or read the labels and look for the words sugar only. Its absence makes us believe that the food item is sugar-free or has no added sugar. But the names mentioned above are nothing but disguised sugar and can be overlooked by us. The habit of thoroughly reading labels can help us select the right food. Our choices of the right food can outsmart the disguised enemy.
- Most of us are in the habit of having snacks in between meals. The careful choice of snacks can also impact our total sugar intake. Instead of sugar-laden snacks like protein bars, cookies, etc., we can take fruits, salads, nuts, or seeds to supply fuel to our bodies.
- A wholesome diet having adequate fiber can keep us full. The cravings can be less if we have a feeling of fullness. So the food which is slowly digested by our body can alter the craving for sugar. Sometimes we just eat sugary stuff due to our mental needs. Our body does not need refueling of that type. Studies have established that Candida also plays a considerable role in our unexplained craving for sugar. Overgrowth of Candida can cause sugar Cravings
- Candida is a Yeast and it is a living organism. It is present in all human bodies. Our good bacteria regulate its growth and is majorly responsible for not letting it overgrow. It is a fungus and lives inside us. It likes a moist atmosphere inside our body. Once it is imbalanced and overpopulated in our body it causes a number of problems and in the context of the present discussion, it increases our cravings for sugar limitlessly. It feeds on sugar. It is a vicious circle, the more sugar we eat, the more is the growth of Candida. More candida is their demand and craving for sugar. Actually, Candida loves sugar and becomes more populous with a sugary diet. Overgrowth of Candida can cause digestive problems and disturbs the ecosystem of our gut. Consequently, it also impacts our immune system. There is a war for space between good bacteria and Candida in our bodies. Sometimes, the use of antibiotics reduces the number of good bacteria in our body which can result in the overgrowth of Candida. More Candida and more sugar in our bodies can damage our immune systems. The sugar needed by our cells is not available to them of its overconsumption by overgrown candida. Lack of glucose in cells results in tiredness in our bodies. It can be fixed in a number of ways including reducing intake of sugar, eating fermented food, and other food articles which keep our gut healthy.
- Don’t keep the tempting sugary food item at your home. The easy availability of such stuff and the reward we get by eating them compels us to eat them again and again. So if in the first instance if these food items are not available at home then the choice can be exercised differently and one will take other alternative food items which may be not harmful.
How much is not much?
Although, we all have varying desires and cravings which determine our need for sugar. However, the lesser the better. First, sugar or sugary products should be avoided. In case it is not possible to contain the overpowering desire to take sugar the maximum limit as suggested by WHO in their recommendation made in the year 2015 based upon scientific evidence shall be followed. It has been recommended by WHO that keeping sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces health risks associated with overweight, obesity, and tooth decay,” The recommendation of WHO does not include the sugars contained in fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, as no adverse effects attributable to consumption of these sugars have been reported.
So we all can reduce our sugar intake by mindful eating, reading labels, and limiting our sugar and sugar-containing diet
