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 stri*ped 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.”
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