Sweet Sugar: Is Sugar healthy?

Are you the one who always needs that extra spoon of sugar in your daily morning coffee? Do you often pack your bags with those yummy looking desserts whenever you go for shopping? If the answers to these above-mentioned questions are yes, then you must read this article as here My22BMI has come up with an untold story of sugar. Is sugar healthy?

Nowadays you can find sugar in almost everything starting from packaged juices to breakfast smoothies. Many people these days depend on easy to make breakfast or snack options. Most of them contain a pretty large amount of sugar.  Sugar not only seems to make food tastier but also helps in increasing its shelf life. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sugar has multiple negative effects on the human body and based on that some scientists even referred to it as a sweet poison.

As per the dietary guidelines suggested by ICMR/NIN, a normal healthy adult should not consume more than 2 Tsp of sugar daily. Uncontrolled sugar intake has become one of the most potential reasons for weight gain in today’s world. So feeling the need of the hour My22BMI has created a list of ill-effects of sugar in the human body only for you so that you can be aware and control your sugar intake before it’s too late.

How Sugar Affects your health

Weight Gain

• Sugar is directly associated with weight gain. It readily absorbs into the bloodstream and one teaspoonful sugar provides around 20Kcal of energy which if not utilized; gets stored as fat in the human body.
• If one teaspoonful of sugar can produce 2g of fat, then just think about the muffin or ice cream you ate today! Cutting down on your sugar intake can actually help you to keep your calorie intake under control easily.

Fatty Liver

• Consumption of too much sugar can increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver development. Sugar-sweetened drinks are more potent to cause this condition. Studies have shown that high fiber foods are better than simple sugar dense diet.

Diabetes

• It is always suggested to avoid sugar for diabetic, but did you know that sugar is an indirect cause of diabetes? Eating too much sugar can lead to obesity which increases the risk of type two diabetes mellitus.
• Also, high sugar intake is directly associated with insulin resistance which is a potent reason for developing diabetes.

Obesity

• High sugar intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, and inflammation – all of which are contributing factors in developing cardiovascular disease. Consumption of high sugar-containing drinks can lead to atherosclerosis which is another cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that a high sugar diet can lead to cardiac disease-induced death.

Acne

• Sugary foods absorb readily in the bloodstream and spike blood sugar levels. This triggers insulin secretion, which results in a rise in androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation. All of which can lead to acne development.
• Studies have shown that a diet high in complex carbohydrates and low glycemic index foods helps to reduce acne compared to a diet high in simple carbohydrates and high glycemic index foods.
• Incorporation of whole-grain cereals, fruits, and vegetables, instead of highly sugary and processed foods can really help in reducing acne development.

Cancer

• Consumption of excess sugar over a prolonged period of time can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Weight gain is evident when you consume too much sugar, and this obesity indirectly increases the risk of cancer. Studies have shown that the risk of small intestine’s cancer, esophageal cancer, and pleural cancer associates with excessive sugar intake. In women, the chance of endometrial cancer increases with sugar intake.

Apart from these major issues, sugar is also associated with depression, energy fluctuation, fatty liver, increased risk of renal disease, dental issues, increased risk of gout development, declined cognition, etc.

Is it safe to consume natural sugar?

Again the question is – Is Sugar healthy? Natural sugar or unprocessed sugar is no way better than the processed ones. In order to cut down calories, people replace the common sugar with honey or jaggery, which basically of no use. The main component of these – fructose, tends to hold in the liver for longer than other kinds of sugar. Although they contain some amount of micronutrients in terms of calorie contribution, they all are similar to that of table sugar.

Zero Calorie Sweeteners: Do we recommend?

Yes. Zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia, sucralose, and aspartame are safe to consume compared to sugar. Unlike sugar they don’t cause any blood sugar spikes or weight gain. Though some studies suggest that taking artificial sweeteners for long develops the risk of cancer but stevia being a natural component is safe to consume.

Next time you think Is Sugar healthy – than you the answer. It is “NO”.

My22BMI is a digital healthcare startup addressing the problem of managing lifestyle diseases through personalized diet plans. My22BMI empowers lives to eat healthily and smartly and believe food should be your first medicine. The expert health coaches provide personalized diet plans for heart health, gut health, skin & hair health, weight management, mother & child nutrition, and hormonal health.

Contact our qualified nutrition and holistic health experts over a one time Free Consultation Call and get your own customized diet plan.