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.
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.
BY SOLAADE AYO-ADERELE
