Have you ever thought why you develop an allergic reaction, headache, cough, skin eruption or depression? You need to check the type of
sugar you have been taking recently. Some sugars especially additives and sweeteners are linked to the above side effects because they are manufactured with several chemicals added to them.
Jamiru Mpiima, a nutritionist at Victoria University Wellness Centre, says sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose. These simple sugars are both contained in various amounts in different foods. Sugar exists in many forms besides just the crystalloid sugar we can pick up at the grocery store.
There are effects of sugar in all of its forms and currently people are consuming more sugar than ever before.
According to reports published by the World Health Organisation and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, there is need for a reduction in sugars intake to 5 per cent of our energy intake. This is the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar per day for an adult.
“There is a difference between the sugar we take and the sugar in the blood. The food we eat contains carbohydrates which are in turn converted into glucose that moves into the blood (called blood sugar) and must be kept at a level of 50 to 180mg/dl of blood,” says Mpiima.
He adds that, “The body cells burn the blood sugar into energy but when the sugar is in excess, there is partial breakdown of the glucose which is in turn stored as fats. Accumulation over time may lead to failure by the heart to convert the glucose into energy and more fats are stored in the long run. This is a high risk factor to diabetes and hypertension.”
According to Dr Ismail Tamale, a nutritionist at Taimex Uganda, added sugars contain a bunch of calories with no essential nutrients. There are no proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals in the processed sugar. He advises that one should reduce the intake of artificial sweeteners.
The sugar we take must therefore be kept at minimal levels because excess of it is likely to cause several health problems.
Good and bad sugars
There are natural sugars that exist in fruits and foods and sugar additives. The natural sugar additives include honey, maple syrup and stevia. There are artificial sugar additives that are manufactured and prepared in the laboratory with added chemicals like saccharin, aspartame.
The cane beet sugars include refined sugars, molasses and jiggery. The best kinds of sugars are those that are naturally in foods and fruits.
Tamale says, “Honey is about 53 per cent fructose, but is completely natural in its raw form and has many health benefits when used in moderation, including as many antioxidants as spinach.
The artificial sweeteners are added to baked goods, soft drinks, powdered drinks, jams, jellies, dairy products and chewing gum.”
There are several indicators that tell one is taking too much bad sugars according to Dr Tamale and they manifest when they get unexplained weight gain, your brain fails to concentrate especially after a meal, skin eruptions, cough even when you have no infection as well as sugar cravings. He says,
“Also the taste buds are killed that a person wants to add as much sugar as they can even where there is enough.”
What if you take too much sugar?
Too much sugar, especially in the additives, according to Mpiima, can cause metabolic dysfunction.
“Eating too much sugar causes a multitude of symptoms known as classic metabolic syndrome. These include weight gain, abdominal obesity, elevated blood sugar and high blood pressure. It increases your uric acid levels. The more sugars one takes, the more acidic the body becomes thereby exposing one to the risk of acquiring cancer.”
Experts say
Too
much sugar can also lead to type-2 diabetes, the levels of which have
risen dramatically in recent years. Being overweight or obese also
increases your risk of developing the disease.
So before you add a teaspoon of sugar to your beverage, think twice and make an informed choice.
So before you add a teaspoon of sugar to your beverage, think twice and make an informed choice.
Effects of artificial sweeteners
The
more sugars one takes, the more calcium, potassium and magnesium
nutrients are removed from the body so the bones and teeth become
weaker. This is the reason elderly people who take a lot of sugar
complain of weak bones.
Consuming lot of sugar is very bad for the teeth, because it easily creates conducive environment for the bad bacteria in the mouth. When this happens, it causes tooth decay.
Consuming lot of sugar is very bad for the teeth, because it easily creates conducive environment for the bad bacteria in the mouth. When this happens, it causes tooth decay.
Sugar also provides the body with empty calories that give us energy without any beneficial nutrients. Dr Tamale warns that, ''As a result, we consume more without feeling satisfied.
This actually leads to increased risk of certain diseases, weight gain and a cycle of high and low in energy levels or irregular levels, which will leave you feeling tired and craving even more sugar''
Mpiima says that, not only have artificial and natural sugar substitutes been linked to obesity and tooth decay but also some artificial sugar substitutes such as sucrose and aspartame are been linked to various cancers.
“Regular use of artificial sweeteners can result in blood or brain cancers because they increase the body pH to become acidic. Their consumption should therefore be as limited as possible,” he says.
The fake sugars are likely to create conditions such as depression, panic attacks; extreme mood swings (bipolar) as well as persistent headaches that may turn into migraines.
The sweeteners are mistakenly thought to help lose weight but instead lead to weight gain and obesity. They can lead to birth defects in men because they contain ingredients which slow the male reproductive system.
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, about 38 per cent of premature births are linked to sweeteners. Other defects can be cell damage, nervous breakdown as well as memory loss.
Children who consume lots of sugary foods can easily develop cough and tooth decay. Dr Tamale says that --''It is very important to note that honey may contain small amounts of bacterial spores that can produce toxins. It should not be given to babies below 1 year. Babies are good with jiggery and molasses''
Source: Monitor magazine
0 comments:
Post a Comment