Sugar, It’s Not That Simple
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to demonize the bad effects of sugar. The following claims are based on scientific research.
Since ancient times, we’ve been taught that consuming too much sugar will lead to diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, insulin resistance, and a plethora of other health problems Yet, the majority of the population are not equipped with the knowledge on how sugar actually causes all these problems.
From an evolutionary point of view, researchers believe that half of all human beings do have a sweet tooth. This is partly because “sweetness” brings “happy” feelings to the brain; meanwhile, “sweetness” also represents sugar, which represents energy and is critical to our survival. To optimise our daily function, our food choices start to increase with the intensity of its sweetness. However, too much sugar increases the risk of metabolic abnormalities, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease (coronary), cancer (breast and colon), high blood pressure, kidney disease, and, of course, tooth decay.
On those days when a client is giving you a hard time, or when your friends and family are mad at you, have you ever thought of reaching for a sweet pastry or a cup of boba tea to calm yourself down? Sugar doesn’t only exist in those white sprinkles, brownish liquid, such as table sugar and corn syrup. Instead it exists in almost all kinds of food we eat everyday. From the cereals in your breakfast to the fruit served as your after-dinner dessert. Sugar is present in virtually all aspects of food consumed . Consuming sugar moderately is never a problem, but it might be when you have “sugar addiction”. Let’s talk about sugar addiction today, what it actually is and how it affects human’s body health and human lifestyle.
“I don’t really eat much for every meal, but I still find it difficult to control my weight.”
“Even though I am getting enough sleep everyday, I still feel very tired everyday.”
“I find it difficult to concentrate and focus on everything I do.”
The following are the misconceptions of sugar that most of us have, let’s unravel what “sugar” actually is:
Myths and Facts of Sugar
- Eating refined carbs and foods high in sugar makes me feel happy.
Most people tend to snack on sugary foods when experiencing tiredness, it is true that it can fix our tiredness quickly and boost our energy level temporarily, but the feeling of drowsiness may attack immediately after the digestion happens in our body. This is also known as glycemic response.
2. It’s ok to eat lots of fruit, the sugar content in fruit is healthy.
With similar intensity of sweetness, it is true that the GI index and calories of fructose are lower than sucrose. However, fructose increases the production of triglycerides and uric acid compared to other sugars and it should be used with caution in patients with hyperlipidemia and gout. Examples of fruits that are high in sugar content are bananas, grapes, durian.
“Moderation is the key”
Eating excessive amounts of fruits or substituting meals with fruits is not a good idea for weight loss and maintaining a healthy life.
3. Canned fruit drinks and fruit juices are healthier than soda drinks.
Not every packaged drink labelled “fruit” contains real fruit, nor is it always healthier than soda drinks. In fact, if you look closely at the nutrition facts and ingredient list, you might find that the word “fruit” refers to the flavour enhancers of the fruit. The rest of the ingredients are actually just water, sugar, honey, syrup, or any other form of added sugar. It’s better to eat the whole fruit rather than drinking canned juice to get all the nourishment you need.
4. Sugar-free food are sugar-free
When the claims “sugar free”, “low sugar” are labelled on a food product, it commonly suggests that the absence of the real sugar and have been substituted with artificial sweetener. It’s a boon to discover these chemical substances that enabled diabetics to enjoy the sweet feast without experiencing sugar spike. However, the body actually responds to these sugar substitutes in a different way — it will eventually cause unexpected gastrointestinal distress, another significant problem that is caused by the alteration of gut bacteria in our body.
5. Sugar is addictive as drugs.
This topic has become more and more controversial in recent years. However, there isn’t really a single study that can provide an exact answer to the public as most of the studies have been done over animals instead of human beings. Although sugar can be addictive — — If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll crave it more and more and might be unable to “withdraw” from it easily. This is due to the fact that sugar can trigger the reward zone in your brain to release dopamine Dopamine is also known as the ‘happy chemical’ However, sugar addiction is not caused by only one meal. Instead, thousands of meals that contain added sugar. It accumulates over time so the more you eat, the more you’ll crave for it until your body feels that it is enough. This is also known as the “bliss point”. Furthermore, sugar will not be as addictive, and its effects on health will not be as instantaneous and direct as drugs. The most conclusive evidence suggests that eating too much sugar causes dental caries and obesity, which are not as bad as drugs.
Recently, The World Health Organization has published the latest recommendation that daily intake for sugar should be no more than 50g, or 25g if possible. The World Health Organization has also assessed the relationship between sugar intake and health, and has concluded that high intake of added sugar increases the risk of tooth decay and obesity, which in turn may increase the risk of other diseases. In the past, we used to consume less processed food and so less added sugar. Thus, the problem has not been that serious for the past few decades.
Added sugar lurks in a wide range of food. Many of the foods we think are healthy actually contain a lot of added sugar. Food companies try to trick us by labelling their products with healthier sounding names like “malt syrup”, “agave syrup”, and even “juice” when in reality these are just fancy nicknames for sugar, There is no way to completely avoid sugar in our diets, but we can actually make a conscious effort to control our sugar intake.
What Happens When You Practice Sugar Detox?
Sugar detox doesn’t really require you to completely cut off sugar consumption from your regular diet; rather, it simply limits one’s sugar intake to the daily recommended intake based on your physical activity, age, gender, and other factors. You can still eat carbohydrates as well as natural sugar from fruits and dairy products. These sugars are good for you, as long as you control the amount ingested. The real thing to be controlled is the added sugar in drinks, desserts and snacks! That is, sugar added artificially in all foods, including sucrose, fructose and glucose.
- Greater productivity in daily tasks.
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2. Better skin condition.
When our bodies absorb too much sugar, our pancreas produces more insulin. A greater insulin concentration raises the risk of skin inflammation, resulting in the breakdown of elastic fibres and collagen in our skin. This explains why most people who have a sweet tooth are more likely to suffer from dermatitis and premature skin aging.
3. Improved sleep quality.
According to research, refined processed sugars have an impact on both slow-wave and rapid eye movement sleep. As a matter of fact, sleep deprivation will lead to poor performance in daily tasks, as well as drowsiness during classes or at work. Reduced sugar consumption can improve sleep quality by lengthening slow wave sleep and decreasing the frequency of midnight awakenings.
4. Healthier teeth, better oral hygiene.
Bacteria can thrive in the presence of sugar in the mouth. If you consume too much sugar on a regular basis, your mouth could become a breeding ground for those bacteria even if you brush your teeth thoroughly every day.
It may be difficult to accept that you may need to eliminate sugar from your daily necessity in the beginning, like getting rid of your morning coffee. You may claim that consuming drinks with no added sugar makes you irritable, gives you a headache, or causes you to be agitated. However, if you stick with it long enough, you will undoubtedly reap the benefits.
Ways of Controlling Sugar Intake
Here are some tips to control daily sugar intake:
- Learn to read nutrition labels.
Learn to read the nutrition labels before purchasing packaged and processed food. Be careful not to fall into the trap of the food industry. It’s one of the tactics of the food industry to increase their profits. Pay close attention to the ingredient lists and nutrition claims of products marketed as “zero fat”, “low sugar”, or “sugar free”. Oftentimes, there are sugar substitutes for the “sugar free” products. However, findings show that these artificial sweeteners may have side effects for our health, such as weight gain, brain tumour and other chronic diseases.
2. Start your day with a healthy, hearty breakfast.
Skipping breakfast isn’t a good idea, it will actually make you more vulnerable to junk food, snacks and dessert to satisfy your starvations. Research has shown that people who skip breakfast are at higher risk of becoming obese. Eating junk food on an empty stomach could cause elevated blood sugar levels, resulting in drowsiness, headache, sleepiness and may eventually lead to bad daily performance in some people.
3. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water everyday!
Drinking plenty of water on a regular basis not only quenches your thirst but also fills you up, reducing your desire for sweets. Take a sip of water and wait for a moment before reaching for junk food when the urge strikes.
4. Practice regular exercise.
Physical activity curbs cravings for sweets because it produces endorphins, which helps to improve mood and boost our energy. According to another study, people who are constantly staying active are more likely to eat healthier foods. As a result, engaging in an enjoyable activity can allow you to control your sugar cravings. Even a slow walk could be helpful.
5. Learn new skills and distract yourself from the temptation.
Another effective way to resist the urge is to focus your attention on something else that will occupy your mind and keep you physically active. We tend to seek out sugar treats during leisure time or when we feel bored.Try something new, such as joining yoga classes, drawing classes, or journaling to keep yourself occupied and to fill your time with meaningful activities.
6. Improve your overall dietary habits.
Get plenty of protein and fat, both of which could help you feel full and satisfied. Eating foods with lower GI index helps to stabilize your blood sugar level, thus preventing sugar spikes and blood sugar fluctuation. Besides, taking sufficient vitamins is also essential in keeping your blood sugar levels stable.
All in all, don’t set unrealistic goals that you know you can’t reach. It’s not an issue to have a sweet treat every once in a while. Eat mindfully and slowly reduce your sugar intake, and you will see the results one day.
To clarify, sugar isn’t necessarily a problem for you; it’s just how we consume it that could be hazardous. As long as it is whole food which contains minerals, vitamins, and various nutrients needed by the body, we can still take in sugar in the right amount.
[Written by: Li Yi Xin]
