"Those who fail to take the time to be
healthy will ultimately have to take the time to be sick." ~ Dr.
James Chappell
BEWARE OF SUGAR
There's the old saying that sugar is poison.
After reading Lick the Sugar Habit by Nancy Appleton (PhD), you'll be convinced
of that. Most people in the world each consume more than 50 – 80 kilos of sugar
and related sweeteners each year. Before you doubt it, consider that there are
about 17 teaspoons of sugar in a single can of Coke. Author Nancy Appleton
(PhD) delineates how sugar overconsumption wreaks havoc with the immune and
endocrine systems, leading to chronic conditions including arthritis, osteoporosis,
diabetes, asthma, and hypoglycemia, along with the usual suspects such as
cavities and periodontal disease. Appleton admits that she herself used to be a
sugar addict, preferring to take her sweets in the form of chocolate, and
consequently suffered from numerous allergies, plus bronchitis, pneumonia, and
even a chest tumor that turned out to be a huge calcium deposit that resulted
from her body's inability to process the pounds of sugar she consumed. In
addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a
number of other significant consequences.
Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
WHAT IS
SUGAR?
The term sugar has been used over time as a loose
referral to refined or processed sugars available in different forms – cubes,
granules, liquids. Scientifically, however, sugar is a generalized name for
sweet soluble carbohydrates consisting of linked carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
atoms, the most common of which are glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose.
Sugars are primarily ingested in the form of carbohydrates which as we know are
primary sources of energy in diets. But what is it that makes these sugars able
to act as a sustaining energy source? The answer is glucose. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
Glucose on its own is a simple sugar; after we
digest various carbohydrates, glucose is the end product which is converted by
the body to provide energy. The importance of glucose can neither be overlooked
nor overemphasised. As a primary energy source, glucose is required to keep
your body active, healthy and energised. The brain most importantly is the
largest consumer of glucose as 75% of glucose generated from carbohydrates (and
indeed other substances) is used by the brain. Sugar (glucose) is brain food;
it is the fundamental fuel needed by the brain. If you have ever experienced a
bout of dizziness after skipping a few meals, watch it; most likely your brain
has used up its store of glucose. Another goodie about sugar: it aids in the healing of wounds; sugar dries
the wound, thus preventing the growth of bacteria.
Other classes of food also act as sources of
glucose. For example, proteins and fats can be converted to glucose in cases
where carbohydrate consumption is too low to replenish glucose stores. The
conversion process is known as “gluconeogenesis” and it accounts for phenomena
such as weight loss or muscle wasting in malnourished children who are unable
to include carbohydrates in their diets. Muscle begins to break down and fat in
the adipose tissues is converted to glucose to provide energy. It is thus
difficult to overlook how important glucose is. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
There are various types of sugars which are
widely consumed. Refined sugars (sucrose sugars) are the most common sweetening
agents used on a daily basis. They are processed sugars which undergo several
stages of processing to give cubes, granules, syrups and so on. Their metabolic
by-product is glucose and thus they provide the same benefits as naturally
occurring glucose but have several potential side effects and dangers
associated with them. Better then to consume sugar from natural foods than to
load your pap, tea, oats, cornflakes, etc with refined sugar or senselessly
drink soft drinks laden with sugar. No matter your age, watch what you do with
these sugars, but especially if you have crossed forty. Fruit sugars are
obtained from fruits as the name implies. Fruits are known to be good and
healthy sources of glucose since eating fruits helps to improve one's health
and immunity. Therefore, eating fruits is advisable especially to reduce
refined sugar intake. Sugar substitutes are chemicals which were developed as
alternatives to processed sugars. Sugar substitutes pose less risk for patients
with diabetes; some of them occur naturally but are less sweet than sucrose.
Examples are xylitol, aspartame and sorbitol. Xylitol, for instance, is an all-natural
sweetener. It is not only a safe, natural sweetener without the bad
side-effects of sugar and artificial substitutes, it's also good for your
teeth, stabilises insulin and hormone levels and promotes good health. It is
wise to check each substitute for negative effects before using. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
'GOODS' AND 'BADS' OF SUGAR
Now that we know the different and most popularly consumed
forms of sugar, let us look a little closer at the health side. Sugar can have
many positive effects on metabolism and life. These effects include:
· Sugars have
a high calorie content that instantly provide energy when needed. They give us
the required boost to carry out daily tasks without wearing out.
· Sugars have
a by-product called glycolic acid which helps in the maintenance of healthy
looking skin. The glycolic acid helps to eliminate blemishes and restore the
balance in the skin's oils.
· For sugars
that are obtained naturally, there are certain minerals which are passed to
them from their natural sources. Elements like phosphorus, iron, calcium, and
potassium are carried along in the glucose structure when natural sources of
glucose are consumed.
· Sugars act
as a quick source of glucose in patients that are severely hypoglycaemic. Sugar
cubes are given to diabetic patients who tend to become hypoglycaemic after
taking their medication without subsequently consuming food. The sugar
instantly causes a surge in glucose levels and insulin levels increase, causing
the glucose to be moved into the cells where it is required to defeat the
effects of hypoglycaemia.
Sugars also come with negative effects for which reasons
many people avoid sugar consumption. Dr Fredric Brandt, popularly known as 'The
Baron of Botox' has said, "In a nutshell, sugar hastens the degradation of
elastin and collagen, both key skin Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
proteins. In other words, it actively ages you." He
believes that by simply reducing your sugar intake, you can turn back the clock
by ten years and improve the texture,
tone and radiance of your skin. Some of sugar's negative effects are:
· Sugars
provide just pure energy and do not contain any other essential nutrients. When
people eat up to 10 to 20% of calories as sugar, this generally causes major
problems and contributes to deficiency of other nutrients.
· Processed
sugars are very bad for the teeth and general oral hygiene. Because sugars are
easy to digest, bacteria in the mouth digest the sugars and produce gases which
cause tooth decay and bad breath, both of which are undesirable.
· Sugars that
are not naturally occurring, when consumed in large amounts, cause the liver to
be overloaded with fructose. This excess fructose is converted to fat which
leads to fatty liver and other serious health related problems. Of course,
fruits are high in fructose but the amount of fructose in fruits can never be
enough to overload the liver as processed sugars do. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
· Sugars can
cause cells to be insulin-resistant. Insulin is an important hormone in the
body. Its job is to permit the entry of glucose into the cells for the
provision of energy, as well as instructing the cells to start burning glucose
instead of fat. Consumption of too much sugar causes insulin to fail in its
responsibility to move glucose into the cells (insulin resistance) and this
phenomenon is responsible for many diseases including obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
· Because
sugars cause insulin levels to become elevated, many scientists have implicated
high sugar consumption in cancer. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death
worldwide and is characterised by growth and multiplication of cells at an
uncontrolled rate. Insulin is an important hormone in the regulation of cells
growth and as a result it is believed that an increase in insulin can
contribute to cancer.
In conclusion, the effects of sugar on our bodies depend on
the nature of the sugars we consume, the amount we take in daily and our
physical fitness which will enable us to burn the sugar. To maintain a healthy
body, we must endeavour to consume sugar in moderation and have daily exercise
routines to keep fit and avoid the problems which are associated with sugar.
[GB / Nkiru Ibeanu]
REFERENCES: 1. AUTHORITY NUTRITION:
https://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/sugar-and-your-health-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
2. SUGAR HISTORY:
http://www.sugarhistory.net/sugar-facts/health-benefits-of-sugar/ 3. Sweet by Nature: See www.sugar.org/
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