Eddy's Blog
Sugar: Sweet and delicious tasting but also a dangerous substance?
The amount of sugar we consume as a society is significant. Australians are one of the leaders in the race. As a nation we fall into the top 5% of consumers of sugar per capita which simply means we are consuming way more sugar than what we require. What is all the hype about sugar and why is it so important to our health, longevity and weight control?
Sugar has the unique capability of escaping our body’s natural ability to send signals to the brain that we are full. This fundamentally means that eating sugar does not have the same ability that fats, protein and carbohydrates to make you feel as full (carbohydrates do get broken down into glucose/sugar, but can affect the body differently). When we are hungry and we need to eat, sugar does not have the potential on its own to fill you up like other nutrients do. Delicious tasting to most people, sugar has a highly addictive profile. It has been proven to cause us to crave more sugar and has been documented to work along the same pathways in the body as certain drugs of addiction. Have you ever broken off a square chocolate with the good intention of eating only that piece but then found yourself eating the whole block to be satisfied? This is because eating sugar creates the desire to eat more sugar. After eating a decent amount of sugar you can crave it for days afterwards, making it a powerful and very influential ingredient. In this context, arguably, sugar is an addictive substance which needs to be exposed for what it is. Being aware of its negative effects is the very first step to being able to manage or deal with your sugar addiction.
Let’s look at a few more reasons sugar needs to be minimised or eliminated from your nutritional intake:
- Sugar has no known requirement and serves no purpose in the human body when consumed alone.
- Sugar is responsible for spiking insulin, weight gain and has strong links to diabetes, cancer and many other diseases including terminal illness.
- Excess sugar often creates an imbalance in energy and hormonal secretion.
- Excess sugar leads to malnutrition.
Sugar in fruit known as fructose is ideal to consume, however if you want to lose weight, be mindful of eating too much on a daily basis. Fruits that are highest in fibre are best. These include kiwi fruits, berries and pears. The phytochemicals (full of antioxidants) and fibre make fruit a superior option to soft drinks, chocolate, lollies, cakes, pastries, biscuits, ice-cream and many other sugary snacks. Tread carefully when trying to lose weight however, as too much fruit may significantly slow your progress. Limit your intake to 1-2 pieces a day. Vegetables on the other hand can be eaten in large quantities.
If a food is sweet, be careful as it’s highly likely to have sugar in it. It’s important to check labels as there are many natural sweeteners on the market today that have little to no sugar in them and still provide that sweet satisfying taste.
