The harm of sweet for the body has long been proven and no one doubts. Violation of insulin resistance and the subsequent strong feeling of hunger is inevitable after eating foods with sugar. With regular abuse of sweets, obesity and metabolic disorders develop. Even an innocent cup of coffee with regular sugar leads to a surge in insulin and, as a result, a quick feeling of hunger. Sweetener will help people who canât imagine their life without sweets, to switch to a new regime of proper nutrition.
Sugar - benefit or harm to the body?
Any coin has a flip side, and sugar can also be beneficial in some cases. If you do not consider extremes, such as hypoglycemic coma (from which you can only get out through the ingestion of a large amount of glucose or simple sugar), then the following health benefits of sugar can be distinguished:
- short burst of energy;
- activation of cognitive abilities;
- feeling of cheerfulness;
- increased feeling of fullness;
- a surge in insulin in the blood.
Alas, each of these pluses is overshadowed by negative consequences. Sweets provide great energy potential, so after eating them a person feels cheerfulness and a surge of strength. But most of us, after eating candy or cake, do not go to hard training, but proceed to routine. As a result, the energy potential remains unspent and is sent directly to body fat. The body does not know how to dispose of the energy received. So obesity begins: imperceptibly, from a few sweets eaten with sweet tea at lunchtime.
What is sugar for the body - good or bad? Both. But the harm from him is still greater. Especially should be careful people with a tendency to gain weight and diabetes.
Why nutritionists forbid eating sugar
Sugar is a popular name for a substance called sucrose. Official information states that cane and beet sugar are important foods. Dietology denies any obvious health benefits of this simple carbohydrate. Almost all people who eat right and monitor their weight have refused once and for all from eating sugar.
What are sweets, cakes, cakes, marshmallows, marshmallows and other foods and dishes so beloved by sweet tooth made of? Most often it is melted sugar with the addition of oil, trans fats, milk, cream, etc. Thus, sweets, caramel, and especially cakes and cakes are not even a simple carbohydrate in its pure form, but a mixture of it with harmful fats. Such a mixture is very dangerous in terms of food. Sweet tooth inevitably cause harm to health by its addiction to harmful dishes. No wonder nutritionists call sugar âsweet poisonâ.
To whom does sugar do more harm - to men or women?
Women are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than men. This is due to the difference in hormonal status. Men, thanks to testosterone, are not prone to gaining fat in problem areas: on the abdomen, inner thigh, armpits. In addition, they have much more muscle mass than most women. Therefore, the energy potential that enters the body along with sweet poison - sweets, buns, cakes, pastries, etc., is partially spent on maintaining muscle tone. But if a man regularly allows himself the abuse of sugar, then obesity can overtake him, it just takes more time than women.
Women are naturally prone to gain weight. This is the so-called "estrogen" fat, which indicates a womanâs willingness to become a mother and feed her offspring. It is good that modern science, dietetics, allows you to regulate your diet and maintain weight at an acceptable level.
The effect of sugar on the children's body
Science has already proven that even a small amount of sugar increases the hysteria and excitability of the child. Children with a tendency to hyperactivity and attention disorders of various etiologies are contraindicated in the use of sweets, caramels, cakes, pastries, sweet muffins and the like. It is permissible to consume fruits as a dessert; they contain not sucrose, but fructose.
The harm of a childâs sweet for the body is too much calorie content and excessive intake of carbohydrates in the body. This leads to the fact that the nerve centers receive a large load. As a result, the baby becomes moody, uncontrollable and hysterical. In some cases, it is advisable to completely limit the child's ability to eat sweets.
Dishes and foods containing sugar
These products have been known to everyone since childhood: sweets, chocolates, candy, marshmallows, cakes, pastries and sweet yeast-free pastry, creme brulee, ice cream, sorbet. Sugar is almost always added to homemade pickles to enhance flavor. Of particular note are alcoholic beverages. Although most of them are not always sweet, they are pure, simple carbohydrates. We can say that this is energy in its pure form, only it is extremely toxic to the whole organism as a whole.
What are sweets made of? They pose a health hazard not only because of the high sugar content, but also because of their high fat content. Chocolate so beloved by all is rich in trans fats, the harm of which to the body and the ability to increase the likelihood of cancer are already proven.
Obesity and sweets: is it possible to eat sweets and not get better
How many sweets or chocolates can I eat per day? Of course, there will be no harm from one or two sweets per day. The average calorie content of one hundred grams of chocolates is about 550 kcal. This is half the normal daily diet when measured in energy value. There is absolutely no room for proteins and healthy fats. And this is only a hundred grams of candy!
If a person can eat one candy a day and stop there, then such a habit will not bring harm.
Simple Carbohydrate Dependence
Almost all people find it difficult to limit themselves in relation to the use of harmful sweets. Some nutritionists note that for sensitive people, sweets and cakes become a kind of addiction, a drug.
These statements are based on research: sugar contributes to the production of endorphins - hence the temporary improvement in mood and the appearance of vigor for a short time after eating sweet foods. Thatâs why itâs so hard to restrain yourself and not to eat another ten after one sweetie. Many people prefer to completely abandon sweets than tease themselves with one or two sweets.
How much sweet can you eat per day so that addiction does not develop? It is difficult to give an exact answer to this question. Each person is individual. The rate of assimilation of simple carbohydrates depends on gender, age, metabolism, weight.
Causes of diabetes
The reason for the development of type 2 diabetes is a prolonged violation of the basic principles of proper nutrition and regular abuse of simple carbohydrates. Most sweet tooth people think that it will not affect them. But by the age of 40-45, many are given this diagnosis.
People with type 1 diabetes are not guilty of developing an ailment in themselves: most often it has hereditary causes or appears due to a strong nervous shock. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are most often themselves guilty of having this diagnosis, since for many years the advice of endocrinologists and nutritionists has been neglected. In 95% of patients with type 2 diabetes, obesity is also diagnosed.
The main treatment method is a special diet, which implies a complete rejection of simple carbohydrates and foods with a high glycemic index. It is acceptable to use sweeteners for diabetics. If the patient does not find the strength to refuse sugar, the disease will progress. In diabetes, chronic kidney dysfunction develops, the disease is accompanied by severe edema, fainting, and after a while there is a need for a donor kidney transplant or regular visits to hemodialysis procedures.
Is it possible to somehow neutralize the harm of sugar
The harm of sweet for the body is difficult to overestimate. Is there a way to reduce its harm or impede absorption? Many diabetics or obese people try to find unusual recipes. Sugar-free cakes, fruit slices, the use of sweeteners are all effective ways to reduce the harm of sucrose.
Which is better, honey or sugar? This question is often asked to nutritionists. Of course, honey is healthier, but it also has a high glycemic index and high calorie content. If a person is not able to give up sweets and is considering what to choose, honey or sugar, then it is better to prefer the first option.
There is also a class of pharmacological drugs that prevent sucrose from being absorbed. These are the so-called carbohydrate blockers. These pills have quite a few side effects.
The harm of sweetness to the body almost completely disappears with the regular use of a sweetener. They are different in composition and not all of them are devoid of calories. For example, stevia-based products are also quite high in calories, but have a lower glycemic index.
Synthetic and Natural Sweeteners
Artificial (synthetic) substitutes taste sweeter, so itâs very easy to overdo it with their addition to drinks. Most often, 1 tablet is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Do not give in to tempting discounts and buy several bottles of synthetic sweeteners at once. They are very economical to use and often expires before the need to open a jar appears. Synthetic sweeteners for diabetics are sold both in liquid form and in the form of tablets, capsules, bulk powder.
Natural sugar substitutes are distinguished by the fact that the carbohydrate part contained in the components breaks down slowly, which allows the blood glucose values ââto remain normal. Due to this, the glycemic index of such sweeteners is low and allows you to use them in special recipes. Sugar-free cakes on stevia, nogogu-mogul, homemade meringue, cottage cheese ice cream - all this is easy to prepare at home using natural sweeteners.
List of sweeteners basics
Which substance can sugar replace? Below is a list of the most popular and inexpensive.
- Cyclamate and aspartame are popular in the food industry. It is with their addition that drinks âCola Ziroâ and âPepsi Lightâ are produced - very sweet, but with zero calorie content. By its taste, cyclamate and aspartame are 200 times sweeter than sugar. Under the influence of high temperatures are destroyed.
- Saccharin is 700 times sweeter than sugar. Heat treatment that has a detrimental effect on the taste effect of the drug should be avoided.
- Sucralose is perhaps one of the few synthetic sugar substitutes that doctors approve of taking diabetes.
Fat Burning Sports Sweeteners
Almost all sweeteners that are sold on the shelves of sports nutrition stores are based on erythritol. It is a relatively healthy sweetener with moderate flavoring properties. Five grams of erythritol in sweetness is equivalent to a tablespoon of sucrose.
âFit Paradeâ, âMine Kraftâ and other sweeteners for athletes, intended for use during the period of fat burning training, contain erythritol. The average cost of one jar (100 grams) is about five hundred rubles. These sweeteners are the most beneficial and safe both in terms of cost and in terms of caring for your own health.
Alternative to factory sweeteners
Fans of everything natural should take note of natural substitutes for sugar and sweets, which have a relatively low glycemic index and in rare cases can even be eaten by people with diabetes mellitus:
- bee honey - an energy source with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties;
- agave syrup - it tastes and smells like honey of a pleasant caramel color, is added to pastries and cakes;
- maple syrup, prepared independently, without added sucrose.