Sugar is sweet, and that’s an obvious statement! Yet, researchers say its consumption is fraught with health problems.
Sugar
is colourless or white when pure, and brown when less refined. It is
obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively
from sorghum, maples, and palms.
Sugar comes in granules, cubes,
and all the various mixes of glucose, fructose and sucrose, not
forgetting the so-called high fructose corn syrup found in many salad
dressings, ketchup, coffee creamers, etc.
Of course, there is
natural sugar in fruits, but they are also rich in fibre, which slows
down the release of the sugar molecules. When consumed, fruits nourish
the body — as opposed to the way prolonged and excessive use of
processed sugars destroy health.
Meanwhile, do you know any
processed food that does not have sugar at its centre? I doubt it. From
confections to canned foods and fruit juices, the ubiquitous presence of
sugar cannot be overlooked. Food manufacturing companies court it like a
beautiful bride, as they use it generally as sweeteners and also as
preservatives.
Indeed, modern diet is hardly complete without
intake of something sugary along the line. Perhaps this is why
scientists are sounding relentless warnings about the health
implications of this sweet stuff.
Researchers describe sugar in
unsavory words as “a drug that has no nutritional value and an addictive
chemical.” They argue that eating sugar puts you at a higher risk for
Type 2 diabetes and weight gain — whichever comes first. That is not
all. Here’s how sugar affects your body.
The brain
A
neuroscientist at the National Institutes for Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora
Volker, used brain imaging to prove that sugar has the same effects that
abusive drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine have on the
brain.
The report, published in Psychology Today, states, “Sugar
leads to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens — an area of the
brain associated with motivation, novelty, and reward.” This is the
same brain region implicated in response to cocaine and heroin.
Instructively, scientists say heroin addicts show increased cravings for sweets at the initial stages of withdrawal.
“This
effect, known as cross-tolerance, shows that addiction to one substance
makes it easier to become addicted to another substance that may use
the same brain chemistry,” says Princeton researcher, Dr. Nicole Avena.
And
when you see someone who seems unable to get enough sugar in his food,
you might as well be looking at someone who is already addicted to
sugar!
Eyes
A research done by scientists
at the Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, and
published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that
eating excessively sugary or starchy foods may make eyes more vulnerable
to age-related macular degeneration — a top cause of vision loss. They
note that AMD typically starts late in life, and affects the retina.
Teeth
Generally,
sugar corrodes teeth enamel, causing cavities. Scientists say when
sugar is present, the bacteria that are naturally found in the mouth
multiply faster, making the plaque to grow in size and thickness. “Some
of the bacteria turn the sugar into a kind of glue that they use to
stick themselves to the tooth surface. This makes it harder for the
bacteria to get washed away with your saliva,” they warn.
The heart
Another
scientific research done by a registered nurse at Emory University,
Jean Welsh, describes sugar as “heart-stopper.” A research published in
The Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults who
eat plenty sugar are at risk for the cholesterol problems that can lead
to heart disease.
Bones
Sugar damages the
cartilage tissues, scientists warn. Cartilage is what gives bones their
solid structure, and to maintain healthy bones, physicians say you must
maintain cartilage health.
According to evolvingwellness.com,
when we eat too much sugar, we need calcium, an alkaline mineral that is
highly abundant in the bone, to neutralise the acidic effects. “This
negatively impacts mineral balance, weakening the bones and making them
porous. Eventually, it leads to osteoporosis,” the online portal
deposes.
The immune system
Regarded as
immune buster, scientists say sugar suppresses immune system cells
responsible for attacking bacteria, reducing the ability of white blood
cells to overpower and destroy them.
“Eating sugar makes your
immune system slow down to a crawl. In fact, sugar has been found to
almost paralyse the white blood cells responsible for engulfing harmful
invaders like viruses and bacteria for up to five hours, while it also
reduces their ability to work properly by up to 40 per cent,” researcher
say.
Low libido, infertility, menopause
According
to reproductive endocrinologist and gynaecologist, Dr. Deborah Metzger,
eating too many sweets and simple carbohydrates forces your body to
produce excessive insulin.
“In the female body, this spells
trouble for reproductive health, as large amounts of insulin overwhelm a
woman’s ovaries and can make her stop producing progesterone —the
hormone required to prepare the uterus for pregnancy — and throw off the
hormonal balance.
“Besides contributing to a number of serious
female problems — including infertility, miscarriage, birth defects,
polycystic ovary syndrome and even fibromyalgia — a high-sugar diet also
could be connected to chronic fatigue and recurring yeast infections,”
Metzger says.
Severe PMS
Eating too many
sweets makes women feel worse right before their menstrual cycles.
Researchers at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
say 85 per cent of women who menstruate report one or more Pre-Menstrual
Syndrome symptoms, and that managing sugar intake could be one of the
most powerful and effective ways to curtail PMS-related symptoms.
Insomnia
Sugar
may be keeping you up at night, says Dr. Fred Pescatore, former
associate medical director for the Atkins Center. He says sugar affects
insulin levels, and insulin levels affect cortisol levels. When cortisol
levels increase, it can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay
asleep.
“If you’re one of the people who wake up at two or three
in the morning, try decreasing the amount of sugar you eat and you’ll
stay asleep,” says Pescatore.
The stripper
Finally,
scientists say as your body digests sugar, it strips it of valuable
nutrients. This is because sugar digestion requires many vitamins,
minerals and enzymes to be stripped from healthy cells. This tasks the
system, and the situation is worse for those already used to poor diet.
Way out
Does
this mean we should stop eating sugar altogether? Scientists answer:
“You’ll find added sugar in foods we know are bad for us — such as soft
drinks, lollies, cakes, biscuits, pies and pastries.
“Sugars
found in nutrient-poor foods are the ones that are increasing our
waistlines and therefore, increasing our health risks. Remember that
sugar isn’t the only ingredient that you need to avoid. If avoiding
sugar means you eat less processed foods and more whole foods — fruit,
vegetables and whole grains — then that’s a good thing. But if you’re
swapping sweet treats for fatty or salty ones then you’re not doing
yourself any favours.”
The bottom line: It is possible to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy the occasional treat.
Naij.com
