Sugar is the food product that so scares people who are worried about their figure and overweight. And all because the energy value of sugar is almost 400 kilocalories per 100 grams. In addition, a portion of granulated sugar consists of carbohydrates for 97%, and their excessive consumption, as is known, leads to a number of negative consequences.
Composition and properties of sugar
Only a few think about what properties granulated sugar has and what its energy value is. Sugar for most is just a sweetener, which is usually added to coffee, tea and pastries. However, if you dig deeper, you will be able to find out that this product has the following characteristics (per 100 g):
- proteins - 1.10 g;
- carbohydrates - 88.23 g;
- fats - 0.96 g.
These indicators are 1%, 32% and 1% of the daily intake of these substances, respectively. Thus, despite the fact that the high energy value of sugar allows you to quickly saturate the body, the amount of carbohydrates in it affects human health in a negative way.
Why carbohydrates are bad
If you talk about the benefits and harms of sugar, you should first find out why an excess of carbohydrates is so dangerous for a person. Carbohydrates - the main component of most food products, they are a source of energy. It is on them that the work of the body largely depends. If you consume carbohydrates correctly, a person will feel vigor, satiety and not feel any discomfort. In the opposite case, metabolic disturbances, an increase in blood sugar and an increase in body weight are possible.
All carbohydrates are divided into two types - simple and complex. Simple - quickly saturate the body, but also quickly absorbed and as a result lead to a sharp increase in blood glucose. Complex ones include dozens of structural elements, so much more time is spent on their assimilation. During this period, the human body receives energy from them, and this ensures a long and stable saturation.
About carbohydrates in sugar
What is the energy value of sugar - found out. It remains to understand why the carbohydrates in it harm the body, and the same substances, for example, in buckwheat, on the contrary, are very useful.
The fact is that sugar is 100% simple carbohydrates, which are quickly absorbed and do not provide proper saturation. In just a few minutes, these carbohydrates lead to a surge of energy, which provokes an increase in blood sugar. To cope with these changes, the body produces the hormone insulin, which either "makes" these calories be consumed (physical activity, metabolic processes), or "puts" them into fat deposits (most often the second one).
In addition, regular consumption of simple (fast) carbohydrates leads to a violation of glucose uptake mechanisms. Because of this, the body ceases to perceive blood sugar as a substance that needs to be disposed of, which, in turn, leads to a number of negative consequences. At the head of this list, of course, is weight gain, up to obesity.
Glycemic index
The glycemic index is another thing you need to know about sugar, in addition to its nutritional and energy value. Sugar is included in the list of foods with the highest glycemic index (70 out of 100), which means that once it enters the body, it literally increases blood sugar levels in a few minutes.
People with diabetes are strictly contraindicated in the use of foods whose glycemic index exceeds 55. The following are the most common and “dangerous” ones:
- fried potatoes, fries, chips, mashed potatoes - from 85 to 95;
- dates - 146;
- white bread - 136;
- sweet pastries - 100;
- beer - 110;
- honey - 90;
- hamburger - 103.
These include sugar, whose energy value is 387 kcal per 100 g, and the glycemic index is 70.
That is why these products are recommended to be excluded from the diet for both diabetics and a healthy person. It is best to give preference to foods rich in complex carbohydrates - cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
Sugar harm
As already managed to find out, granulated sugar is very high-calorie. To be more precise, the energy value of a spoonful of sugar is 28 kcal. In addition, it has a high glycemic index and consists of fast carbohydrates, which makes sugar an absolutely useless product in terms of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
However, the energy value of sugar (100 g - 387 kcal) is far from the only thing that should concern people who regularly eat dishes with its addition. Scientists have found that it also negatively affects the psyche, brain and human body as a whole.
In the course of research, it was found out that sugar causes a kind of dependence. When used in the human brain, the same reactions occur as with cocaine or morphine. This activates the dopamine system, which is responsible for the pleasure center.
The sharp rise in blood sugar levels necessitate a new "dose". The brain at such moments cannot distinguish hunger from the desire to eat something sweet.
Sugar VS Vitamins
It has long been proven that sugar and vitamins are incompatible concepts. Once in the body, sugar "leaches" out of it all the vitamins of group B, which are necessary for normal digestion. This happens, in particular, because the breakdown of sugar requires vitamin B1, which is not in this “sweet drug”.
Thus, the body begins to "borrow" this substance from all organs and systems. This leads to many negative consequences, including digestive tract disorders, fatigue and irritability, loss of vision, skin diseases and muscle diseases.