Why so sweet?
Almost all of us love sweets.
We consume sugar on a daily basis aware or unaware. Sugar is mixed to food and drinks for flavor. There are various types of sugar. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose, and galactose. The “table sugar” or “granulated sugar” most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. Sugar is used in prepared foods (e.g., cookies and cakes) and it is added to some foods and beverages (e.g., coffee and tea). In the body, sucrose is hydrolyzed into the simple sugars fructose and glucose. Other disaccharides include maltose from malted grain, and lactose from milk. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides or polysaccharides. Some other chemical substances, such as glycerol may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Diet food substitutes for sugar; include aspartame and sucralose, a chlorinated derivative of sucrose.
Sugars are found in the tissues of most plants and are present in sugarcane and sugar beet in sufficient concentrations for efficient commercial extraction. Sugar makes our food sweet and tasty but its actually slowly damages our health specially if there is no moderation in the intake.
Sugars are found in the tissues of most plants and are present in sugarcane and sugar beet in sufficient concentrations for efficient commercial extraction. Sugar makes our food sweet and tasty but its actually slowly damages our health specially if there is no moderation in the intake.
Here are some of the negative effects of sugar that we should know.
Blood glucose spikes and plummets.
Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger. On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.
Increases risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Large-scale studies have shown that the more high-glycemic foods (those that quickly affect blood sugar), including foods containing sugar, a person consumes, the higher his risk for becoming obese and for developing diabetes and heart disease1. Emerging research is also suggesting connections between high-glycemic diets and many different forms of cancer2,3,4.
Interferes with immune function.
Research on human subjects is scant, but animal studies have shown that sugar suppresses immune response5. More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms; however, we do know that bacteria and yeast feed on sugar and that, when these organisms get out of balance in the body, infections and illness are more likely.
Results to chromium deficiency
It’s sort of a catch-22. If you consume a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates, you probably don’t get enough of the trace mineral chromium, and one of chromium’s main functions is to help regulate blood sugar. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of Americans don’t get enough chromium. Chromium is found in a variety of animal foods, seafood and plant foods. Refining starches and other carbohydrates rob these foods of their chromium supplies.6
Accelerates aging
It even contributes to that telltale sign of aging: sagging skin. Some of the sugar you consume, after hitting your bloodstream, ends up attaching itself to proteins, in a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the loss of elasticity found in aging body tissues, from your skin to your organs and arteries7. The more sugar circulating in your blood, the faster this damage takes hold.
Causes tooth decay.
With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, it creates decay more efficiently than any other food substance8. For a strong visual reminder, next time the Tooth Fairy visits, try the old tooth-in-a-glass-of-Coke experiment—the results will surely convince you that sugar isn’t good for your pearly whites.
Causes gum disease which can lead to heart disease.
Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, such as those that result from periodontal problems, play a role in the development of coronary artery disease9. The most popular theory is that the connection is related to widespread effects from the body’s inflammatory response to infection.
Behavior and cognition in children
Though it has been confirmed by millions of parents, most researchers have not been able to show the effect of sugar on children’s behavior. A possible problem with the research is that most of it compared the effects of a sugar-sweetened drink to one containing an artificial sweetener10. It may be that kids react to both real sugar and sugar substitutes, therefore showing no differences in behavior.
Increases stress
When we’re under stress, our stress hormone levels rise; these chemicals are the body’s fight-or-flight emergency crew, sent out to prepare the body for an attack or an escape. These chemicals are also called into action when blood sugar is low. For example, after a blood-sugar spike (say, from eating a piece of birthday cake), there’s a compensatory dive, which causes the body to release stress hormones such as adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol. One of the main things these hormones do is raise blood sugar, providing the body with a quick energy boost. The problem is, these helpful hormones can make us feel anxious, irritable and shaky.
Takes the place of important nutrients
According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Ironically, those who consume the most sugar are children and teenagers, the individuals who need these nutrients most.
(source: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/10-ways-sugar-harms-your-health)
There are also testimonies that claims not taking sugar will slow down aging at an unbelievable rate (http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/31/70-year-old-hasnt-eaten-sugar-for-28-years-looks-incredible-6674143/). Sugar is a basic compound in our daily food intake and we should take it in moderation to prevent the negative effects of sugar to our body. Balance is the key to achieve a healthy lifestyle to prolong our existence here on earth.
About The Author
Josef is an Oleia user and content contributor. He is a express himself through writing and music. He is not good at lying. He believes in the quote “He who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know”
