Interesting facts on sugar

Sugar is a popular part of peoples’ everyday lives. They spoon it into coffee. Stir it in cakes, and enjoy it in hundreds of foods known to be high in sugar. There are also dextrose, fructose, mannose, maltose and more. 

Sugar is found in many processed food. If the label on food products is scrutinized carefully, a person may be surprised to note its presence - as dextrose, or under some other lesser known name - in beans, soups, yoghurt, baby food, canned ham, vegetables, bread, even non-sugar coated cereals, tomato sauce, peanut butter, salad dressing, chilli and many other foods.

Sugar refining is the process which extracts the sugar from the cane or beet, separating it from those elements which permit its proper digestion and assimilation.

Thus it becomes actually a very negative substance with the following 6 of many side effects:

·         It causes irritability;

·         It leads to obesity and restlessness;

·         As it really does not provide quick energy, it actually on the long run, drains the body of energy.

·         With a high intake of sugar, the pancreas must constantly produce insulin.  Eventually the pancreas can wear out and is no longer able to clear sugar from the blood, and diabetes is often the result.

·         In women, it can increase PMS symptoms

·         Sugar causes the brain to release the chemical serotonin, boosting a person’s mood, and causing a mild feeling of happiness.

To avoid the negative side-effects of sugar, the best is to cut down on the consumption of sugar, by trying the following:

·         Always read the label on processed foods and avoid those with sugar - or other sweeteners such as dextrose or fructose - high on the list of ingredients.

·         Switch from soft drinks to fruit juices or water.

·         Reduce the amount of sugar you use in coffee or tea – or eliminate it altogether.

·         Do not keep sweetened foods in the house, or use them to reward children.

·         Serve more fresh fruit and fewer baked goods for snacks and dessert. Beware of the high sugar content in the syrup of many canned fruits.

·         Experiment with gradually cutting down on the amount of sweetener in recipes. Adding a grated carrot to a recipe can replace some of the sugar in tomato sauce, salads and even biscuits.

In conclusion, while some popular scientists link sugar and heart disease, there is no specific support for such speculation. However, a diet high in sugar - or, of course, high in any source of kilojoules - may lead to obesity, which is often associated with heart disease as well as various other health problems.