An Answer to the Age-old Question “Is Sugar Bad For Your Health?”
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Is sugar bad for your health? In every other health blog, you will be advised to steer clear of these sweet white crystals if your health is precious to you. It can make you wonder whether sugar serves any purpose at all and if it is indeed the enemy to your body as it is portrayed.
What is sugar and why do we need it?
Soluble carbohydrates that taste sweet are sugar. It can be natural or man-made. Plants produce sugar or sucrose naturally through photosynthesis and store it in their fruits or stems. That is why certain fruits like apples, pears, bananas or stems like sugarcane taste so sweet. Sugar extracted from these sources is called artificial sugar. Composition-wise these artificial sugars are the same as the ones you consume through fruits.Essentially all sugars consist of glucose and fructose but in varying ratios. Our bodies require glucose. It is like a machine that needs fuel to function. Glucose is the fuel every cell of the body absorbs from the bloodstream to carry out its activities.
Is sugar good for health? Here are some other reasons why it is:
- It gives you the energy to perform your daily activities
- Sugar contains trace amounts of minerals and nutrients
- Consumed in moderation, the glycolic acid present in sugar keeps your skin glowing
So why the question; “Is sugar bad for Your Health?”
The answer to this question lies in how much sugar you are consuming. Without sugar, our bodies would collapse. But when you opt for candies, sugary drinks and use a little too much of artificial sweeteners, you are bombarding your body with sugars it clearly does not need. And that can open the door to a host of problems. First of all, as we said earlier, sugar contains fructose. It needs to be converted into glucose before your body can use it. And this is the liver’s task. When there is too much fructose to be processed, the liver will feel overwhelmed. And this is when fats begin to deposit in your liver, a precursor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is why you should not be consuming more than 150 gms of fructose a day.Similarly, excessive sugar disrupts the insulin balance in your body. When your pancreas detects a surge in the sugar levels of your blood it releases insulin, a protein. Insulin instructs your cells to start absorbing the required sugar from the blood. But when you consume too much sugar, your body becomes insulin resistant which means the cells no longer respond to its orders. Naturally, the sugar level will start climbing. This may give you Type 2 diabetes.
Diseases caused by sugar
If diabetes weren’t enough, consuming too much sugar may also cause-ObesityHigh glycaemic foods- the ones that make your blood sugar spike right after a meal, could be dangerous if you consume them consistently over a long period of time. They increase your chances of obesity. And once obesity sets in, you become susceptible to life-threatening ailments. Heart DisordersAn overabundance of sugar in your system will lead to high blood pressure, which in turn is the harbinger of heart ailments and even heart attack.Immunity IssuesWhen you consume sugar in excess, it will meddle with your immune system and weaken it, making you vulnerable to a host of illnesses.Chromium DeficitA diet that leans heavily towards sugar and refined carbohydrates limits the amount of chromium you take in. Chromium is vital for maintaining the sugar level in your blood.
- Sugary drinks linger in your mouth and speed up tooth decay and gum infection
- Sugar makes your skin lose its elasticity and contributes to ageing, fine lines and wrinkles
- When your intake of sugar exceeds the permissible levels, it triggers the production of stress hormones
Conclusion
Sugar is necessary for the functioning of your body. But like all things, moderation is instrumental when it comes to sugar consumption. [av_promobox button='yes' label='Consult a Specialist on MediBuddy' link='https://www.medibuddy.in/?utm_source=blog_cta&utm_medium=blog' link_target='' color='blue' custom_bg='#f00' custom_font='#ffffff' size='large' icon_select='no' icon='ue800' font='entypo-fontello']While sugar in itself and foods rich in sugar are highly attractive, its ill effects are numerous and are certainly not worth the risk despite their tantalizing appeal. If you want to know how you can counteract the harsh effects of excessive sugar in the blood and about a well-balanced nutritious diet plan to be followed, speak to a Doctor via MediBuddy today.[/av_promobox] Sources:
