The Truth About Sugar

Time immemorial, sugar has earned a very bad name with its various connection to some diseases, however, here is what you need to know about sugar!

Sugar has been linked some diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and many more. However, the truth is that sugar is not only important for your body, it is also important for your life. However, it is important to understand what kind of sugar is good for you and what is not.

However, there is need for you to understand 'sugar' itself. According to Times of India, the sugar sold in grocery stores is an unnatural substance, i.e. it is produced by industrial processes mostly from sugar cane or sugar beets. It is refined with chemicals such as sulphur dioxide, phosphoric acid, calcium hydroxide, and activated carbon, and stripped of all the natural nutrition it originally had. By refining it down to sucrose and stripping away the vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and other beneficial nutrients, what is left is a concentrated unnatural substance that the human body is not able to handle, let alone use.

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the acclaimed 'raw sugar' (which most people think is natural) is also refined. Once the cane juice crystals are washed, boiled, filtered and dried. This makes the fibre and beneficial elements in the original crystals to get completely lost. The sugar then becomes refined, with no nutritional value. Needless to say, artificial sweeteners are more harmful than refined sugar.

However, as highly beneficial sugar can be, it is a deadly if one gets addicted to it. This is because refined sugar stresses the pancreas, emptying the supply of chromium in the body. A common symptom of chromium deficiency is sugar cravings. Satisfying these cravings further lowers chromium and increases cravings. Refined sugar also reduces all the Vitamin B in your body. Sugar also dramatically removes calcium from your hair, bones, blood and teeth. As if that is not enough, it also affects your body's digestion. It ferments in your stomach and stops the secretion of gastric juices, inhibiting the stomach's ability to digest. Weight gain, mood swings and irritability are some of the major effects of too much intake of sugar.

Sugar plays a major role in altering one's mood, this explain the terminology -'Sugar rush”. Refined sugar has a chemical reaction on the brain by releasing serotonin – the 'feel good' hormone; this tricks the body into a temporary high, causing a rise in blood glucose levels. This 'feel good' lift is followed by the crash where you feel tired, irritable and even depressed.

So what kind of sugar should you take?
Intrinsic sugars are natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. These sugars are not harmful to your health nor are they fattening. Natural sugars found in honey, fruits and vegetables are unprocessed and therefore rich in fibre and nutrients. A diet high in fruits and vegetables will ensure that your body gets the small amounts of sugar it needs, while providing you with far more health benefits than refined sugar.