Food for health: How healthy is sugar?

29 March 2009

Food for health: How healthy is sugar?

Posted by Cecilia under: Health .

The effects of sugar on our body depends on the amount we eat daily. Nutritional experts warn not to eat more than 3.5 ounces of sugar per day. They say that sugar damages our teeth, makes us fat, is addictive and ultimately can make us sick. What is the truth about sugar and health?

Let’s take a look at the different effects sugar and artificial sweeteners have on our body.

Sugar provides calories

All kinds of sugar contain the same amount of calories. Generally it’s no problem to eat calories in the form of sugar as long as we get enough exercise. Two-hundred and fifty calories, the equivalent of one waffle, requires 20 minutes of jogging or 30 minutes of riding a bicycle. When we don’t exercise at all, the calories are cached by the body for later use - in fat cells.

Sugar provides well-being

To keep the blood-sugar level constant a healthy body creates insulin. This hormone also causes serotonin to be produced in our brain. Serotonin, is the hormone that makes us feel good.

Eating sugar and other kinds of sweets makes us happy - and that’s the reason we can become addicted to it. Our body normally produces serotonin just by being exposed to daylight, and this explains why we’re tempted to eat more sweet food during dark winter days or when we feel depressed.

Unhealthy effects of sugar in general

Health is maintained by a fragile balance of food intakes and cell functions. Eating one kind of food in an increased amount disturbs this delicate balance system. As for sugar this means that eating too much sugar raises the insulin level which inhibits the release of growth hormones which weakens the immune system. Too much sugar competes also with vitamin C - keeping it away from the cells - and weakening the immune system.

Artificial sweeteners and their effects

Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes taste much sweeter than sugar but they don’t satisfy the hunger for sweets, which ironically makes us even more hungry for sweet food. The side-effects of these sweeteners are numerous. Aspartam has many possible negative health consequences. Some of the artificial sweeteners such as Cyclamat can be transformed by certain people into a substance which is equal to pesticide. Sugar substitutes may also cause digestion problems, and some of them are even used as laxatives.

Sugar and artificial sweeteners can have both beneficial and also negative effects on our health. The best advice is to keep the daily sugar intake as low as possible - or to work the calories off. Use honey for sweetening instead of artificial sweeteners. Be conscious about hidden sugar in almost all kinds of packaged food. To stop eating sugar altogether would be just as unhealthy. As with all good things, balance is best. With sugar, we have to watch how much we eat and to continue to exercise in a normal way.

6 Comments so far...

healthybean Says:

29 March 2009 at 1:34 pm.

I read your article with great interest. I recently omitted sugar from my diet as I recently found out that it was the reason why I was suffering from eczema. I never knew the consequences of eating too much sugar apart from tooth decay and diabetes. I think articles like yours should be publicised more.

Today in Sikantis - March 29, 2009 « Sikantis Says:

29 March 2009 at 8:15 pm.

[...] Special News - Food for health: How healthy is sugar? [...]

Anita Says:

30 March 2009 at 7:08 pm.

20 minutes of jogging for one waffle!! (does that include maple syrup? ) I found your information on sugar and the immune system as well as aspartame and digestion very interesting.

lisa (dandysugar) Says:

1 April 2009 at 7:29 pm.

Your info on sugar is very interesting. Although, I have a persistent sweet tooth, I am always trying to find alternatives ways to fix my craving. This is a great article.