Sugar and other harmful products imposed on man. Harm of sugar for health. History of sugar

He was demonized and called the cause of the obesity epidemic. But is sugar really bad for health? Are all sugars the same? Here's what the science says.

If sugar is bad and "toxic", then what should one think about fruits?

This is a hypothetical question that is rarely answered - or even taken into account - by those who consider a "sugar-free" diet.

Before you succumb to the simple idea that sugar is the root of all evil, consider a similar scenario. Yesterday, fats were harmful and it was necessary to exclude them from the diet. Today, they are on the way to being justified - some of them are not as harmful as they were thought, while others are good for health.

But in the minds of many people, an “obvious” enemy appeared: carbohydrates, and to be even more precise, sugar.

And yet, the question remains whether "sugar is bad for you" regardless of the dosage, or - as with everything else - is it how much you consume it and where does it come from? If you dig deeper into the science, you'll find that if you want to lose weight, live longer, and feel great every day, you don't have to cut out sugar entirely.

Sugar is much more than just the white stuff you put in your coffee. (This is sucrose.)

In biochemistry, sugar is either a monosaccharide or a disaccharide ("saccharides" is another name for "carbohydrates").

Monosaccharide - simple sugar
A disaccharide is a sugar made up of two monosaccharides.
Oligosaccharide contains 2 to 10 simple sugars
A polysaccharide is made up of two or more simple sugars (300 to 1000 glucose molecules in starch)

In short, all carbohydrates contain single sugars. If we go back to the example of sucrose, or table sugar, what is actually the disaccharide of the simple sugars glucose and fructose.

Meanwhile, starch alimentary fiber, cellulose are polysaccharides. And let's face it: fiber - which most people know is a good ingredient - is also a form of sugar.

Of the above three things, we can only digest starch, which is made up of glucose. You've probably heard the name "complex carbs" or "slow carbs" and starch is one of those. They are called slow because it takes time for the body to break them down into their individual sugars (particularly glucose, our “blood sugar”).

Therefore, the idea of a diet completely "sugar-free" means giving up a lot of completely healthy foods. Of course, you can live without sugar or even carbohydrates... but only because your body is able to synthesize the glucose it needs from fatty acids and amino acids.

This is because your body needs sugar. Glucose is needed as fuel for important functions such as the functioning of the nervous system or the brain. (Yes, your brain doesn't just run on glucose, but it needs it; it also helps cells communicate.)

And more importantly, there are many absolutely healthy foods that contain sugar (see below). Any "sugar-free" diet that requires you to give up all these foods is not reliable, right? And that's the point: any extremes are often wrong, including the generalized statement "don't eat any sugar."

List of sweets that are not harmful to eat

Don't let the slander about sugar intimidate you. All products on this list are healthy - unless of course you will absorb them in buckets, or pour syrup over them. And yes, they do contain sugar. Even in kale.

Fruit:

Apples
Avocado
Bananas
Blackberry
Cantaloupe
Cherry
Cranberry
Dates
figs
Grapefruit
Grape
nutmeg melon
Lemon
Mango
oranges
Pears

Vegetables:

artichokes
Asparagus
Beet
bell pepper
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Brussels sprouts
Kale
Corn
cucumbers
eggplant
lettuce
curly cabbage
Mushrooms
Greens
Spinach

Starches:

Whole grain bread (made without added sugar)
Couscous
Lentils
Oatmeal
Parsnip
Peas
Quinoa
Sweet potato
Potato
Pumpkin
vegetable marrow
pea pods
Turnip

Snacks:

Whole grain crackers
Beef jerky (look for no added sugar)
Popcorn
Protein bars (make sure that sugar is not the very first in the composition)
rice cakes

Beverages:

diet cola
Vegetable drinks (from powder)
Milk

Other:

Nut butter (no added sugar)
nuts
Yogurt without additives

The answer to the question: is sugar harmful?

As with most things in life, harm depends on the norm.

As already mentioned, your body really needs sugars, so much so that it will produce some of them on its own, even if you eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet.

But too much sugar leads to type II diabetes and obesity (although overeating will make you fat even if you don't eat a lot of carbs). Excess sugar also leads to an increase in the amount of advanced glycation end products, and as a result, damage to the skin and more. high risk development of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

It is for this reason that added sugar can be dangerous, not because it is "addictive like cocaine" (it can be addictive, but not as addictive as cocaine or food addiction). The real danger of sugar is not that people get fat from it. There are only 4 calories in 1 gram of sugar. And 4 calories won't make you fat. However, you can swallow a lot of sugar and not feel full. And you eat a little... then a little more... and then a little more... and then you realize that the cookie box is empty, but the hunger hasn't gone away.

It's too easy to overdo it with added sugars. This statement is true for every one of them, no matter how healthy the name sounds. For example, "cane sugar" is particularly healthier than other sources of sucrose, despite being natural. On the contrary, the ill-fated corn syrup with high content fructose (usually 55% fructose and 45% glucose) is not much worse than sucrose (50% fructose, 50% glucose).

Sugars are especially insidious in liquid form. You can drink and drink and drink huge amounts of them, comparable in calories to a 5-course meal, and still be hungry. Perhaps not surprisingly, soft drinks have been linked to the current obesity epidemic. Today, sodas and colas make up 34.4% of the total added sugar consumed by adults and children in the US and are the main source of added sugar in the average American's diet.

In this regard, fruit juices are not a healthier option. In fact, they can be even worse. Why? Because the sugar found in fruit juice is fructose, which can put a strain on the liver (only the liver is able to process fructose as much as it wants). large quantities). Current data also indicate that fructose intake leads to more weight gain than glucose.

But this statement is not true for the sugars found in vegetables and fruits. In fact, it is necessary to clarify that today:

THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT EATING FRUIT, EVEN IN LARGE QUANTITIES, WILL DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH.

Unlike fruit juices, whole fruits satisfy hunger. Apples, though hard, are 10% sugar...and 85% water; that's why it's hard to eat too many of them. In addition, recent research suggests that fruits may help regulate blood sugar levels.

There is one "sugar" drink that does not pose a similar threat: milk. While milk contains sugar (lactose, a disaccharide of glucose and galactose), its content is much less than that of fruit juice, in addition, milk also contains protein and fat. At a time when fats were considered the enemy, skimmed milk was considered healthier than whole, but today this is not the case. Now that the fats are (partially) justified, whole milk, backed by a lot of evidence, is back in vogue.

So how much sugar can you eat per day?

We have something to celebrate: you don't have to feel guilty every time you eat added sugar. But you should stay aware of your consumption and do your best not to exceed the following indicators:

100 calories per day for women (about 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams)
150 calories per day for men (about 9 teaspoons, or 36 grams)

What does it mean? Go for 1 whole Snickers or about 7-8 Oreos. But note that we are not at all saying that you should add Snickers or Oreos to your daily diet. These examples just show total per day, which you may want to limit. But remember: added sugar lurks in many unexpected places, like soup and pizza.

While the average sugar intake in the US may be declining (in 1999-2000 it was around 400 kcal/day and dropped to 300 kcal/day in 2007-2009), it is still too high. And of course, these are averages, and averages lie. Some people consume much less sugar and others... much more.

But let's say you don't like the same numbers for everyone. And you don't feel like carrying around a whole set of measuring tapes all day or worrying about how many grams of sugar you've eaten. If so, here's an even easier way to keep it under control. It is based on the old Food Guide Pyramid model that was introduced in 1992 and replaced in 2005 by MyPyramid, which was eventually replaced by the scheme that the US government uses to this day.

Vegetables and fruits form the basis of a healthy sugar pyramid: they not only saturate, but also provide the body with fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (biologically active compounds found in plants, some of which are beneficial to our health), in addition to sugar. You can also include whole milk here. A small amount of natural sugar found in bread is also not considered added, but sugar, which is often added during production in the US, is considered so.

Nature has decreed that the receptors responsible for recognizing sweet tastes have special sensitivity. Products containing sucrose (or sugar) are loved by the bulk of humanity, and especially children. In order to give a sweet taste to those products that do not contain saccharides, people began to extract sugar from plants containing large amounts of disaccharides (from sugar cane and sugar beets). So white refined sugar appeared in the diet - a product whose benefits and harms continue to be argued for years. Sugar has defenders who love this product and say that this is the fastest way to replenish energy reserves in the body, opponents argue that sugar is extremely harmful, and call it “white death”, “sweet poison”, etc.

The benefits and harms of sugar in daily use

Regular sugar is a carbohydrate pure form, it provides a person with energy, this product does not contain any vitamins, minerals, or other useful substances. Entering the body, sugar under the influence of digestive juices is broken down into glucose and fructose, and enters the bloodstream. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, normalizes blood sugar levels, distributing it throughout the cells of the body. Excess sugar accumulates in the body, turning into not quite aesthetic folds of fat on the abdomen, thighs and other places. After the excess sugar has been removed into the “repositories”, the blood sugar level decreases and the person feels hungry again.

A persistent increase in blood sugar levels can cause the pancreas to stop producing insulin. the right amount. With a lack of insulin, sugar fills the blood, causing diabetes. If the patient does not adhere to a diet and does not control the amount of sugar eaten, the consequences can be the most severe, up to diabetic coma and death.

The harm of sugar is also in the fact that it contributes to the destruction of tooth enamel (the famous “carious monsters” from advertising are the decay products of sugar and acid that process it). Constant excessive consumption of sugar causes lipid metabolism disorders, while the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood increases significantly, which, together with sugar, adversely affects the walls of blood vessels, making them more permeable. All this is fertile ground for the development of sclerotic phenomena, and also leads to such a phenomenon as "gluing of platelets".

Given all of the above, the question arises: is there any benefit of sugar? Its harm is known to everyone, but about beneficial features this product is not widely known (except that it makes food sweeter). Sugar in the body is broken down to glucose, which in turn is the main source of nutrition for the brain. Sugar is also useful for the liver, once it enters the body, it helps the liver perform a barrier function against toxic substances. Glucose is used by the liver to form paired sulfuric and glucuronic acids, which are able to neutralize chemicals such as phenol, cresol, etc.

Speaking about the benefits and harms of sugar, one cannot fail to mention such a parameter as the calorie content of this product. Sugar is very high-calorie product, 1 g of sugar equals 4 calories. However, counting the calories you get from drinking tea or coffee with sugar is wrong. Sugar is found in almost all food products: bread, sauces, juices, and even in sausage - this is the so-called "hidden sugar", the amount of which is difficult to calculate. Therefore, in some countries, manufacturers are required to indicate on the packaging the amount of sugar contained in the product.

To minimize the harm of sugar to the body, know the measure! Avoid foods high in sugar, limit the amount of pure sugar added to tea, coffee, other drinks and foods (cereals, pasta, etc.)

What is important to know about the composition, types and calorie content of sugar. What are the benefits and harms of sugar for the human body

Modern statistics confirm the fact that the annual consumption of sugar is increasing.

Each person has up to 60 kg of this product per year. Today it is one of the common products that are part of the usual daily food. No one refutes the need for its presence in the diet. But it will bring benefit or harm to a person, directly depends on the amount of its use.

Sugar: its composition, calorie content, types

Sugar - sucrose of plant origin, in its pure form - a carbohydrate that consists of glucose and fructose.

Its name "sarkara" in translation means "sand", comes from Sanskrit. This means that the product was known to man in antiquity.

Depending on the raw material from which sugar was made, there are varieties:

Reed;

palm;

Maple;

Beet;

Sorghum.

All types of sugar are produced:

Unrefined (has a brown color);

refined ( white color).

Refining - the process of complete purification of the product from the presence of molasses, molasses, mineral salts, vitamins, gum-like substances. The result of processing is the production of white sugar particles.

Between themselves, refined and unrefined varieties have differences in composition. White sugar is almost all carbs, while brown sugar has impurities in addition. The list of these impurities and their quantitative volume depend on the quality of the purification and raw materials.

Indicators Refined sugar Unrefined sugar

Calorie content, kcal 399 396

Carbohydrates, gr. 99.6 96

Squirrels, c. 0 0.67

Fats, gr. 0 1.03

Calcium, mg. 3 22-62.7

Phosphorus, mg. - 4-22.3

Magnesium, mg. - 4-117

Zinc, mg. - 0.6

Sodium, mg. one -

Potassium, mg. 3 40-330

Differences in chemical composition between the two types of product are negligible. The calorie content of sugar and protein content are almost the same.

A slight difference is observed in the content of proteins and fats (they are completely absent in white sugar).

Sugar: what are the benefits for the body

Despite the well-established opinion about the dangers of sugar, one should not forget that a small amount of it is simply necessary for a person. Doctors confirmed the fact that the human body cannot exist without its complete absence.

The benefit is that a moderate amount of sugar provides the body large quantity energy. The glucose it contains is able to satisfy energy requirement organism.

Glucose helps the liver and spleen form barriers to toxins. Due to this useful property, patients are prescribed glucose injections when removing intoxication and many liver diseases. With the pathology of these organs, a "glucose diet" is prescribed.

Sugar stimulates the production of serotonin. It is also called the "happiness" hormone. The product activates the blood circulation process in the brain. If you refuse it, sclerotic changes will be observed. The product reduces the risk of plaque formation in blood vessels, which reduces the likelihood of blood clots, and sweet lovers are much less likely to get arthritis.

With the right and deliberate approach to this product, it can be beneficial to the body.

Sugar: what is the harm to health

When sugar is consumed in large quantities, significant harm to health is caused:

1. weakening occurs bone tissue. The process of assimilation of sugar by the body and its breakdown into carbohydrates is possible only with the help of calcium. With large incoming doses of the product, the required amount of calcium for its processing is taken from the bone tissue. Therefore, in the "sweet tooth" there is a thinning of the dental and bone tissues, the risk of fractures increases.

2. Diseases of the teeth and gums appear more often. Sugar has a negative effect on acid environment in the mouth and harm the condition of the enamel on the teeth. Under its action, it collapses faster, becomes vulnerable to bacteria and microbes.

3. fast zoom body weight is due to the deposition of fat under the skin of the abdomen, thighs. Sweet causes a rise in insulin, which contributes to the excitation of neurons that are responsible for appetite. Their excitement causes a feeling of false hunger, and the person begins to eat more often.

4. The aging process is accelerated. Able to neutralize collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity and firmness of the skin. As a result of his work, the number and depth of wrinkles increases.

5. Neutralization of vitamins. For the normal absorption of glucose, a large amount of B vitamins is consumed. With large amounts of it, beriberi develops in the body, which leads to the exacerbation of a number of chronic diseases and the development of new diseases.

6. The effect of addiction to sweets develops. Excessive consumption of sweets entails a psychological dependence, reminiscent of narcotic symptoms in terms of symptoms.

7. Depletion of energy reserves. It seems a paradox that sugar, being a strong energy carrier, is capable of causing a decrease in the synthesis of carbohydrates in the body in large volumes, and an increase in insulin - the development of apathy and depression.

8. Violation of the activity of the heart. The development of cardiac muscle dystrophy is associated with a lack of vitamins in the body.

In many familiar products sugar is present. Its content "rolls over" in soda, pastries, sauces, homemade jams, compotes and preserves, desserts. With the constant use of these products, an impressive "amount" of this carbohydrate accumulates and its beneficial properties are reduced to zero.

For pregnant and lactating mothers: the harm of sugar

The danger of sugar for pregnant women and women who breastfeed their babies lies, firstly, in the technology of its production. Crystalline sugar is subjected to chemical treatment, after which the amount healthy carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.

Secondly, the threat of this product lies in the fact that a lot of calcium is spent on its absorption. This element is important for correct formation bone tissue and skeleton of the baby. If calcium is spent on the absorption of glucose, then a double problem will arise: the lack of this element for mother and child.

Thirdly, sugar several times reduces the protective properties of the body, which inevitably leads to the development of a number of diseases and exacerbation of chronic ones.

Fourthly, with an excessive intake of this product, the process of fat formation is enhanced. If a future mom does not take measures to stabilize his condition, then there is a risk of premature birth.

The harm of sugar is also in the fact that it is able to consume vitamins of group B. Its deficiency affects not only the state of the mother’s body, but also the baby: visual acuity decreases, nervousness, a feeling constant fatigue, sleep problems, weak muscle tone, immunity decreases, memory and thinking deteriorate, etc. Such problems will completely disappear if you include the use of natural sugars in the diet.

All these consequences must be constantly remembered by mothers who want to see themselves and their children healthy.

Sugar for children: good or bad

Proper nutrition is considered the key to a child's health. Today in stores there is a wide variety of sweets in bright and beautiful packages. It is difficult to resist and not let the baby try candy, cake. Parents see nothing wrong with this. Moms and dads don’t even imagine what the “sweet” childhood of their child can lead to.

The least sugar can do is kill your appetite. But in fact, the list of what its excessive use leads to is large:

1. Sweet causes disturbances in emotional state and behavior of the child. Headaches, frequent mood swings, fatigue, sleep disturbance, memory loss are the symptoms that are observed in children who often consume sugar.

2. Reduced immunity. At times, the risk of developing diseases increases due to a decrease in immunity. It is not recommended to "spoil" sweet babies when they are sick, since glucose helps the development of pathogenic microflora.

3. Sugar deprives children of beneficial microorganisms. The concentration of chromium and calcium, vitamins of group B is especially strongly reduced.

4. Teeth and bones are destroyed. Calcium as a pledge healthy teeth and strong bones required in large quantities for the normal absorption of sugar. Therefore, teeth and bones are the first to suffer.

In addition to these shortcomings, one must take into account the fact that sweets contain preservatives, dyes, flavors, flavor enhancers that do not bring health benefits. Therefore, parents decide on their own whether to give sweets to children or not.

Sugar: harm for losing weight

To put the figure in order by proper nutrition it will not be enough to count the daily number of calories received.

In the fight against overweight in the first place comes a sharp restriction or rejection of all culinary products, carbonated sweet drinks.

The reason for the restriction is the presence of sugar in them - a product that strongly affects:

exchange processes;

The work of the digestive organs;

The process of fat formation;

Develops addiction to sweets;

Causes a false sense of hunger, forcing you to eat more often.

The product has a high calorie content (almost 400 kcal per 100 g) and is completely contraindicated by nutritionists.

Those who are trying to put their body in order should not forget that up to 15% total weight sugar in cookies and candy, up to 10% in juices, yogurt and ice cream, and up to 33% in sweet soda. There is no benefit to the body from such a sugar content.

For successful weight loss, the number of calories per day should be reduced to 1500, at a rate of 2000 kcal per day. Nutritionists have calculated that a woman can eat no more than 32 grams of sugar per day, a man - 48 grams. This figure also includes the sugar that is in the composition of the products. Therefore, it is better to completely refuse to use it in its pure form for those who follow the figure.

Today, sugar is included in the daily diet of every person and it is difficult for most to imagine their life without it. But in order to preserve your health and the health of loved ones, it is better to completely abandon this product or minimize its use.

Sweet life. The benefits and harms of sugar

Sugar - useful or not?

Around sugar, even in our most progressive age, there is a lot of controversy. Some argue that this sweet product is nothing more than "faithful, white death", but, for others, tea with sugar - great way cheer up and lift your spirits. BUT, after all, what is more in sugar, good for the human body or is it still harmful? That's right, we'll talk about sugar today ...

What is sugar

Surely, there is not a single person who would not love ... sugar. That's just, most of us are interested in him taste qualities, and not what this product actually is. Therefore, it is not surprising that for many it will be a discovery that sugar is a high-calorie product that does not contain vitamins, minerals, fiber (the exception is brown, poorly refined sugars). Also, it is a mistake to think that sugar is only a processed substance in the form of granulated sugar or cubes. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose (milk sugar), maltose (sugar extracted from malt), stachyose (found in legumes), trehalose, and haloactose (found in mushrooms).

You probably already understood that sugar is referred to as simple carbohydrates, we recently wrote about them on our website. So here it is nutritional value for humans, it represents only glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose. Therefore, we suggest that you consider each of these types of sugar in detail.

Types of sugar

Sucrose, aka regular sugar - disaccharide, the molecule of which consists of molecules of fructose and glucose, which are interconnected. In its pure form in nature, sucrose is not so easy to find. GI (glycemic index) of sucrose is 89. On the one hand, this is the first step towards obesity, and, on the other hand, it is a quick and reliable way get an energy boost. Sucrose is especially dangerous for diabetics, for them it can really cause a diabetic attack and even cause death.
Exists original recipe for those who are hungry, tired, but no food is planned in the near future - eat a spoonful of sugar. So you saturate the hungry nervous system, put out your wolfish appetite, avoid overeating in the future and be able to “hold out” until the next meal. Such alternative method suitable for exceptional cases, and, in the rest - it will not hurt to adhere to the diet.

For whom sucrose will be useful, it is for those who suffer acute nephritis, renal failure, liver disease, exacerbations of cholecystitis and hepatitis. In these cases, it is recommended to provide enough sucrose in your body and drink at least 5 glasses of tea with 2 tablespoons of sugar per day.
Glucose- most often found in berries and fruits. The glucose molecule looks like a simple ring. As for her GI, it is 138 - therefore, she is called an emergency energy aid. But, be prepared for the fact that after a surge of energy, a decline will follow, and a hypoglycemic coma may even occur (loss of consciousness by a person against the background of insufficient supply of sugar to the human brain), and, in the future, diabetes mellitus will develop.
Fructose- found in fruits, and also found in honey. As for the GI, which is only 31, insulin is not required for its absorption by the body, and it can be used by diabetics. As an energy doping, fructose is absolutely useless.
Lactose- it is sometimes called milk sugar, respectively, found in dairy products. GI is 69.

Brown sugar

White as sugar... Do you know this expression? However, sugar does not have to be white. After all, there is also brown sugar. And, what is noteworthy, in many European countries they use just such brown sugar, so no matter how much you look for an Italian who adds a spoonful of white sugar or cubes of refined sugar to a cup of coffee, you definitely will not find this.

If you are interested in the question of the presence of brown sugar in the domestic assortment of stores, then this product can also be found here. True, some 300-400 years ago, such cane sugar was an exclusively royal product, and it was sold in a pharmacy for 4 grams per ruble.

In fact, the history of brown sugar has not one ... a thousand years. Yes Yes exactly. It was brown sugar that people first began to eat, not white. And, the first historical notes about reeds, “which without bees can produce honey” belong to the era of Alexander the Great, whose valiant warriors, having conquered Indian lands, were surprised to see how locals they add a brown, hard, but such a sweet substance to food. Other historians are inclined to believe that brown sugar was first discovered in India. And, only then from there he got to Persia, which is now represented by the geography of Europe. And, although sugar cane itself is a truly exotic plant for our latitudes, it belongs to the cereal family and is a close relative of wheat, oats and rye.

What does brown sugar look like?

Brown sugar looks like sucrose in the form of crystals that are covered with a yellowish film. Such crystals quickly dissolve in water.

Composition of brown sugar

The composition of brown sugar includes many nutrients and molasses, and it is she who is a real treasure trove of valuable substances and minerals - calcium, potassium, zinc and copper. So, there is even more calcium in molasses than it is contained in dairy products, which are considered to be leaders in the content necessary for healthy bones and calcium teeth. And, in terms of copper content, only lobsters, oysters, and fried liver can get ahead of brown sugar. And if these dishes are in our daily menu not frequent guests, then, brown sugar in it may appear more often.

Special composition of organic brown brown sugar allows, by using it ... to lose weight, and at the same time not limit yourself in the consumption of such sweets. Whereas, if you use white sugar, excess weight lies in wait for you for every cake you eat.

Beware - fake

Nowadays, when dishonest entrepreneurs fake anything to cash in on it, choosing brown sugar, you need to be extremely careful. The fact is that instead of healthy cane brown sugar (it is grown in a special way, without using pesticides and pesticides, additives and dyes, it is harvested green - to preserve nutrients, and processed, trying to preserve the valuable composition as much as possible - this is the whole secret benefits of such sugar) you may be offered its "alternative" - brown beet sugar. In fact, the benefits in it are 0%, but the manufacturers of such pseudo-brown sugar create a specific color by coating it with molasses. Which, in principle, is no longer as useful as we expected.

What is brown sugar and what can it be used for

In fact, there are many varieties of real brown sugar made from sugar cane. And, the differences of such sugar, first of all, lie in how much molasses molasses it contains. So, dark brown sugar has an intense color, a strong aroma and is most often used to add to various dishes. Light brown sugar is usually used as an alternative to the usual white sugar.

The most famous types of brown sugar that deserve your trust are:

Golden Granulated - These light golden crystals are great for adding to tea, coffee, fruit salads and cereals.
Demerara - this type of brown sugar has a specific aroma, and its merit is not flavors, but molasses.
Muskvoda - this variety is represented by two species. One is almost black, with a moist consistency, suitable for adding during the preparation of mulled wine, mousses, sauces and seasonings. Some gourmets even like to eat it just like that, with a spoon. Ah, the lighter variety tastes very similar to cream fudge, and is best added to pastries and cream.

Japanese Cuisine Considered Exemplary balanced nutrition, actively uses brown sugar, adding it to all possible dishes.
Such brown sugar can be eaten without restrictions, because it will provide your body with the necessary amount of energy, but it will not leave its mark on your figure.
If white sugar can spoil the taste of the drink, then brown sugar will be its pleasant addition and sweet aftertaste.
Brown sugar can be added to baked goods, goes well with raisins and almonds, and enhances the flavor of chocolate.

How to properly store brown sugar

Those who eat brown sugar note its ability to stick together - if this happens, you can cut such sugar with a knife, or hold it over steam. And, in order to prevent such an unpleasant phenomenon, which, however, does not affect the benefits of this product in any way, you can put a piece of any fresh fruit in a glass container in which you store your valuable brown cane sugar.

Harm of white sugar

Why is white sugar bad?

It is no secret to anyone that the excessive consumption of sweets can cause metabolic disorders in the human body, obesity, diabetes and destruction of tooth enamel (caries, in other words). But, you try to prove all this to the sweet tooth ... He just won’t listen to you, and will explain this by the fact that he can’t imagine his life without sugar.

If such an argument of harm is not an argument, we will give you the results latest research scientists. They were able to prove that sugar lovers (as well as lovers of fatty foods) due to their gastronomic preferences are at risk of developing cancer.

Moreover, few people know what sweet white powder called "sugar" has one not entirely useful property - to displace B vitamins from our blood, which in turn can cause serious illnesses such as sclerosis, heart attack, vascular disease.

Can you drink tea with sugar?

Sugar abuse - this concept includes not only eating sweets in unlimited quantities, but also tea with sugar. Such "love" negatively affects musculoskeletal system person. Well, as for our skin and hair, not a single sweet tooth, unfortunately, could say that he has no problems with this, the skin is prone to allergic rashes, and the hair is dull and brittle. You should also not forget that excessive love for sweets in children very often causes neuroses and even children's hyperactivity. If we put all this together on one scale, and on the other hand put our momentary pleasure from sugar - don't you think that there is no balance between the scales? Rather, on the contrary, a clear advantage in favor of the harm of sugar for our body.

Sugar consumption guidelines

Scientists, through long and painstaking research, still managed to calculate the golden mean - optimal dose this product. So,

The daily norm of sugar for an adult is 50-60 grams. In the equivalent of measuring with spoons, we get 10 teaspoons of sugar.

This is how much sugar you can and should eat per day. However, scientists also hastened to warn us that the concept of “norm” included not only sugar in its pure form, but also the sugar contained in confectionery. By the way, you know that the composition of many, absolutely not sweet-tasting products, still includes minimal amount Sahara. The same goes for vegetables and fruits. Therefore, ten teaspoons of sugar is also the sugar that is contained in our diet.

As the ancients said, the sense of proportion is the greatest feeling. Applying this statement in relation to our topic today, you understand what a fine line between the benefits and harms of this product is just one teaspoon ...

It is noteworthy that the symptoms of "overdose" and "lack" of sugar in our body are very similar - dizziness, weakness, loss of mood, and even fainting... Here, and try to figure it out, we went too far or did not receive the required amount of sugar ...

How to neutralize excess sugar in the body

Yes, a difficult task - to observe the measure with sugar, is faced by those who cannot imagine their life without sweets. But, not everything is so difficult, the main thing is your desire and a little effort. If, you understand that you obviously went overboard with sugar - that half of the cake that you quickly ate so imperceptibly to yourself and others was too sweet and tasty, then you washed it all down with sweet tea and “polished” chocolate candy It's not yet a disaster! To neutralize the excess of sugar in your body will help ... ordinary water. 5 hours after your sugar abuse (you can't call it otherwise), you need to drink 2.5 times more water than you ate sugar. That is, hand on heart, you understand that if you "sentenced" a 0.5 liter jar of sugar, then you need to drink 1.5 liters of water. Here is such a punishment for the sweet tooth and such Ambulance"for those who have lost their sense of proportion ...

Benefits of Sugar

Does this mean that sugar is a battle, and we put it on our “black list” of products? Such a radical decision as a complete rejection of sugar will also not benefit your body. After all, in fact, sugar is the product that is vital for the functioning of our most important organ - the brain.

Lack of sugar can affect not only your performance level, but can also cause dizziness and severe headaches.

Isn't it interesting - with a headache, our body can signal to us that it lacks sugar ...

Psychologists have also proven that people who limit themselves in the use of sugar are more likely to suffer from neurosis and depression. Therefore, if you feel that you are starting to fall into a depressive mood, do not bring yourself to extreme point- it’s better to drink tea with sugar (but you still shouldn’t abuse such a recipe).

As you can see, in certain cases, the use of sugar even benefits our health. It seems that the whole mystery lies in how much sugar we consume and what kind of sugar. Step to the left - will lead us to harmful influence, step to the right - to health benefits.

Most healthy sugar- brown

In order not to constantly punish yourself in this way, we recommend that you replace ordinary white sugar with brown. Oh, we wrote about it at the beginning of our publication. The composition of such brown sugar is not only less harmful, but even beneficial for our body, it contains minerals that are useful for you and me - iron, potassium, copper and even calcium.

Honey can also be an alternative to sugar.

As for sugar substitutes, it’s better not to get carried away with them, since some types of such substitutes may cause more harm your health than sugar itself(so, for example, a sugar substitute - cyclomate, which is 30 times sweeter than white sugar, can cause kidney failure, and, a substitute for saccharin - it does have carcinogenic properties). And, although their calorie content is lower than the calorie content of sugar, eating them, you may experience unpleasant phenomenon like a constant feeling of hunger. You will constantly want to eat, you will lean more on food and as a result ... you will significantly shake your home scales, by no means in the “minus” direction. In addition, many types of sugar substitutes cause stomach upset - not a very pleasant symptom ...

Your body and your inner voice should be your adviser in all matters related to sugar. It is they who will tell you whether to eat another candy or add another spoonful of sugar to tea.

Video on the harm of sugar:

conclusions

Today we talked about the sugar in our diet, the types of sugar and when our sweet passion can turn into a "white" death. We learned a lot useful information and about brown sugar (it is important to choose brown cane sugar, not its fake) - it has every chance of becoming a worthy alternative and replacing harmful white sugar in our menu - we can add it to tea, pastries ...

Have you ever tried brown sugar? In your opinion, is it sweeter than white sugar or not? How do you usually use it? We are waiting for your comments and feedback and invite you to join our Vkontakte group, where we can continue discussing this topic together with you.

Shevtsova Olga, World Without Harm

Sugar and its substitute - beneficial and harmful effects on the body

There was no sugar in ancient times. People living on the planet consumed honey both as sweets and as a basis for drinks, honey was an important component of the diet of people who were distinguished enviable health and exceptional longevity, which is now impossible to imagine.

The ancients lived in three or four circles of life, one circle was equal to 144 years, until in distant India, in its southern province of Bengal, people noticed the sweet taste of cane.

Cane sugar was brought to Europe by the troops of Alexander the Great (they called it honey, but it was made without the participation of bees). The product became unusually popular, expensive, highly valued.

In Russia, sugar appeared through the efforts of the German scientist alchemist Sigismund Marggraf in the middle of the 18th century, not cane, but beetroot. It happened in the Tula province, where the first sugar factory was built. Those working at the plant were the first to feel a sharp deterioration in the health of the body in general and teeth in particular. Incomprehensible diseases came to the world of wealthy people. These were diseases that medicine could not cope with. And only at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists began to say that sugar is harmful. Dentists were the first to come to this conclusion, then the entire medical community was concerned about the problems of consuming this product.

In the USSR, special programs were even developed to exclude it from the diet of Soviet people, to replace it with fructose or glucose. By the way, the program was successful as part of caring for the elderly leadership of the country. The party elite and their families used a substitute, a product that did not harm the body, allowing them to include delicacies, sweets and other pleasures of life in the diet.

What is sugar

What is sugar? It is a water soluble carbon with a low molecular weight, related to disaccharides, with a molecule that includes the remains of two monosaccharides. Monosaccharides include:

Glucose;
Fructose;
Levulose.

Disaccharides include:

Lactose;
Maltose;
Sucrose.

So sucrose is the usual sugar for us, a crystalline substance with a sweet taste, white. It may have a brownish or yellowish color depending on impurities. This product is considered by many to be a natural natural product, making a colossal mistake.

Natural sugars are absolutely necessary for a person. The benefits of natural sugar, which include fructose and glucose, are great., the absence of these elements in the body threatens with a state of hypoglycemia! But the use of sucrose is unacceptable in principle! People who care about their health use a substitute that is healthy and just as sweet.

Sugar - benefit and harm

The first sugar began to be obtained several thousand years before our era, in India. It was made from sugar cane. For a long time, it was the only sugar known to people. So far, in 1747, the German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf reported at one of the meetings of the Prussian Academy of Sciences about the possibility of obtaining sugar from beets. However industrial production beet sugar only started in 1801 and it was a revolution in the food industry. Since since then sugar has become more and more available, sweets from rare treats have gradually moved into the category of everyday food. The sad fruits of this are well known to all of us - dental disease and obesity have become a real problem in the modern world.

What is sugar?

Sugar is almost pure sucrose - a carbohydrate that is broken down in our body into glucose and fructose and belongs to "fast" carbohydrates. Glycemic index sugar - 100. Sugar is pure energy, it does not carry any harm or benefit, as such. Problems begin when we receive more of this energy than we can process. Consider what happens when sugar enters our body. The breakdown of sucrose occurs in the small intestine, from where monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) enter the bloodstream. Then the liver takes over, in which glucose is converted into glycogen - a reserve of energy for a "rainy day", which is easily converted back into glucose. If the amount of sugars exceeds the required maximum, which can be converted into glycogen, then insulin begins to work, converting sugar into body fat reserves. And to spend fat, our body oh how it does not like, hence - overweight, obesity. In addition, if too much sugar comes from food, then the sensitivity of cells to insulin drops, i.e. it can no longer transport excess glucose into the cells, which leads to a persistent rise in blood sugar levels, which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes.

But lack of carbohydrates is also harmful. The body needs to get energy from somewhere. Therefore, it is appropriate, perhaps, to talk not about the dangers or benefits of sugar, as such, but about its reasonable consumption.

Fruit sugar - the benefits and harms

Fruit sugar, or fructose, is a close relative of glucose, but unlike it, it does not require the participation of insulin for its processing, therefore it can be used in the nutrition of diabetics. However, although fructose can also be converted into fat, it does not cause satiety and may contribute to obesity. Fructose is found not only in sugar, but also in many fruits, thanks to which it got its name.

Grape sugar - the benefits and harms

Grape sugar is called glucose. This is the main carbohydrate involved in the energy metabolism of the human body. The benefits and harms of grape sugar differ slightly from the usual sugar. The harm is due to the possibility of caries and fermentation processes that can disrupt the microflora.

Cane sugar - benefits and harms

The first sugar known to mankind. Produced from sugar cane. In its composition, it is practically identical to beet sugar and contains up to 99% percent of sucrose. The properties of such sugar are similar to those of beet sugar.

Palm sugar - benefits and harms

Obtained by drying the juice of date, coconut or sugar palms. It is unrefined and therefore considered a healthier alternative to traditional sugars. If we compare this sugar with other types, we can say that it is harmless.

The benefits and harms of sugar, the calorie content of sugar

The benefits and harms of sugar for humans are very ambiguous. Nevertheless, it is present on the table in almost every house, despite the categorical statement that sugar is white death.

History of sugar

Sugar was made in India from sugar cane. The first mention of sugar dates back to 510 BC, it was then that sugar cane was grown in India and sugar was prepared from its sweet juice. Later sugar cane appeared in Persia and Egypt. By the 6th century, sugarcane was grown in almost all countries from suitable climate, including in China.

In the Middle Ages in Europe and Russia, which did not have their own sugar production, sugar was an exquisite delicacy, and the price was equal to expensive spices - 1 teaspoon of sugar cost $ 1. Merchants' daughters even blackened their teeth in order to emphasize their wealth and the ability to eat this product without restrictions. No one thought about whether sugar is good or bad. But in the second half of the 18th century, a method for obtaining sugar from beets was invented.

Already in the 19th century, the product ceased to be so expensively valued due to mass production. In 1843, the manager of a sugar factory in the Czech Republic invented the first sugar in the form of cubes - refined sugar. There are many types of sugar in the world today. Most of all we know white crystalline sugar. Only in Russia 5.5-6.0 million tons of this product are consumed annually.

Benefits of Sugar

It is quite difficult to talk about the benefits of sugar - there are a lot of contraindications for this product. However, as a result of recent medical research, it turned out that the human body needs sugar - in reasonable doses, of course. Sugar is a carbohydrate in its pure form, the main source of energy for the body. Of course, it is better if sugar is present in food not in the form of an industrial product, but in the form of vegetables, fruits, nuts, which also contain organic sugars that our body needs so much. natural sugar useful, it is converted into glucose and is perfectly absorbed.

But industrial sugar is not always harmful. It effectively improves the functioning of the spleen and liver, and often people with diseases of these organs are recommended a "sweet" diet. In addition, scientists have found the benefits of sugar in reducing the risk of plaque formation in blood vessels and preventing thrombosis. Sugar stimulates blood circulation in the brain, prevents the occurrence of arthritis.

And yet, no matter how tasty and healthy sugar is, many consider it a harmful product. It does not contain a single vitamin, essential minerals or fiber. But only calories, quickly absorbed by the body and deposited in the form of unpleasant folds on the waist and hips.

The calorie content of sugar is almost 400 kcal. for every 100 grams of product. Obese, obese people are advised to completely eliminate sugar from the diet, replacing it with sweet fruits, berries and honey. In addition, excessive consumption of sugar leads to diseases of the pancreas and diabetes.

Chamomile tea benefits and harms for women

What is sugar?

belongs to one of the most popular food products. It is more often used as an additive in various dishes, and not as an independent product. People consume sugar in almost every meal (not counting intentional refusals). This food product came to Europe about 150 years ago. Then it was very expensive and inaccessible to ordinary people, it was sold by weight in pharmacies.
At first, sugar was made exclusively from sugar cane, the stems of which contain a high content of sweet juice, suitable for obtaining this sweet product. Much later, they learned how to extract sugar from sugar beets. Currently, 40% of all sugar in the world is made from beets, and 60% from sugar cane. Sugar contains pure sucrose, which in the human body is able to quickly separate into glucose and fructose, the absorption of which in the body occurs within a few minutes, so sugar is an excellent source of energy.

As you know, sugar is just highly refined easily digestible carbohydrate, especially when it comes to refined sugar. This product has no biological value, except for calories. There are 374 calories in 100 grams of sugar.
The rate of sugar consumption

The average resident of Russia eats about 100-140 grams of sugar in one day. This is about 1 kg of sugar per week. It should be noted that there is no need for refined sugar in the human body.

At the same time, for example, the average US citizen consumes 190 grams of sugar per day, which is more than people in Russia consume. There are data from various studies from Europe and Asia that indicate that in these regions an adult consumes on average 70 to 90 grams of sugar per day. This is noticeably less than in Russia and the United States, but still exceeds the norm, which is 30-50 grams of sugar per day. It should also be taken into account that sugar is found in most foods and various drinks that are now consumed by residents of almost all countries of the world.

It is not only the sugar that you put in tea that needs to be taken into account. Sugar is found in almost all foods! A good example for you on the right, just click on the picture to enlarge.

Harm of sugar: 10 facts

Sugar in excess consumption greatly increases the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system. It should also be noted that in people who are called sweet tooth, due to the large consumption of sugar, the the immune system(cm. ). Also, sugar contributes to premature aging of the skin and worsens its properties, which leads to a loss of elasticity. Acne may appear, the complexion changes.

After the research data became known, one could really call sugar a “sweet poison”, since it acts on the body slowly throughout a person’s life, causing significant harm to the body. But only a few people can refuse this product for the sake of maintaining health.

For those who do not know, it must be said that the absorption of refined sugar in the human body spent great amount calcium, which contributes to the leaching of the mineral from the bone tissue. This can lead to the development of a disease such as, i.e. increases the likelihood of bone fractures. Sugar causes noticeable damage to tooth enamel, and this is already a proven fact, it’s not for nothing that our parents scared us all from early childhood, saying “if you eat a lot of sweets, your teeth will hurt”, there is some truth in these “horror stories”.

I think many have noticed that sugar tends to stick to the teeth, for example, when eating caramel, a piece stuck to the tooth and caused pain - this means that the enamel on the tooth is already damaged, and when it gets on the damaged area, the sugar continues its "black case, destroying a tooth. Sugar also contributes to acidity in the mouth, which creates favorable conditions for breeding harmful bacteria, which, in turn, just harm the tooth enamel, destroying it. The teeth begin to rot, hurt, and if you do not start in time, the consequences can be very unpleasant, up to the removal of teeth. The person who has ever had serious problems with teeth, knows well that toothache can be really painful, and sometimes just unbearable.

1) Sugar Causes Fat

It must be recalled that the sugar that is consumed by a person is deposited in the liver in the form of glycogen. If the glycogen stores in the liver exceed the usual norm, the sugar eaten begins to be deposited in the form of fat reserves, usually in areas on the hips and abdomen. There is some research data that suggests that when sugar is consumed along with fat, the absorption of the latter in the body improves. Simply put, high sugar intake leads to obesity. As already mentioned, sugar is a high-calorie product that does not contain vitamins, fiber and minerals.

2) Sugar Creates False Hunger

Scientists have found cells in the human brain that are responsible for controlling appetite and can cause a false feeling of hunger. If you eat foods high in sugar, they begin to interfere with the usual, normal functioning of neurons, which ultimately leads to a feeling of false hunger, and this, as a rule, ends with overeating and severe obesity.

There is another reason that can cause a feeling of false hunger: when there is a sharp increase in glucose levels in the body, and then the same sharp decline occurs, the brain requires immediate replenishment of the deficiency in blood glucose levels. Excessive consumption of sugar usually leads to a rapid increase in the level of insulin and glucose in the body, and this eventually leads to false feeling hunger and overeating.

3) Sugar contributes to aging

Excessive consumption of sugar can cause the skin to ahead of time wrinkles will begin to appear, as sugar is deposited in reserve in the collagen of the skin, thereby reducing its elasticity. The second reason why sugar contributes to aging is that sugar is able to attract and retain free radicals that kill our body from the inside.

4) Sugar is addictive

As shown by experiments conducted on rats, sugar causes enough strong addiction. These data are true for humans as well. When using this product, the same changes occur in the human brain as under the influence of morphine, cocaine and nicotine.

5) Sugar deprives the body of B vitamins

All B vitamins (especially vitamin B1 - thiamine) are essential for proper digestion and assimilation by the body of all foods containing sugar and starch. White sugar does not contain any B vitamins. For this reason, in order to absorb white sugar, the body removes B vitamins from the muscles, liver, kidneys, nerves, stomach, heart, skin, eyes, blood, etc. It becomes clear that this can lead to the fact that in the human body, i.e. in many organs, a severe deficiency of B vitamins will begin.

With excessive consumption of sugar, there is a large "capture" of B vitamins in all organs and systems. This, in turn, can lead to excessive nervous excitability, severe indigestion, a feeling of constant fatigue, decreased quality of vision, anemia, muscle and skin diseases, heart attacks and many other unpleasant consequences.

Now we can say with full confidence that in 90% of cases such violations could have been avoided if the use of sugar had been banned in time. When carbohydrates are consumed in their natural form, vitamin B1 deficiency usually does not develop, for the reason that thiamine, which is necessary for the breakdown of starch or sugar, is found in the food consumed. Thiamine is essential for more than just growth good appetite but also to ensure that the digestive processes function normally.

6) Sugar affects the heart

For a long time, a connection has been established between excessive consumption of sugar (white) and disorders of cardiac (cardiac) activity. White sugar is strong enough, moreover, a purely negative effect on the activity of the heart muscle. It can cause a severe lack of thiamine, and this can lead to cardiac dystrophy. muscle tissue, and extravascular accumulation of fluid may also develop, which can eventually lead to cardiac arrest.

7) Sugar depletes energy

Many people believe that if they consume sugar in large quantities, they will have more energy, since sugar is, in fact, the main source of energy. But to tell the truth, this is a wrong opinion for two reasons, let's talk about them.

First, sugar causes a deficiency of thiamine, so the body cannot complete the metabolism of carbohydrates, which is why the energy output is not the same as it could be if the food was completely digested. This leads to the fact that a person has pronounced symptoms of fatigue and a marked decrease in activity.

Secondly, elevated sugar levels usually follow a decrease in sugar levels, which occurs due to rapid rise insulin levels in the blood, which, in turn, is due to a sharp increase in sugar levels. This vicious circle leads to the fact that in the body there is a drop in the level of sugar much lower than the norm. This phenomenon is called an attack of hypoglycemia, which is accompanied by the following symptoms: dizziness, apathy, fatigue, nausea, severe irritability and tremor of the limbs.

8) Sugar is a stimulant

Sugar in its properties is a real stimulant. When there is an increase in blood sugar levels, a person feels a surge of activity, he has a state of mild excitement, and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system is activated. For this reason, after eating white sugar, we all notice that the heart rate noticeably increases, there is a slight rise. blood pressure, breathing quickens, and the tone of the autonomic nervous system as a whole increases.

Due to the change in biochemistry, which is not accompanied by any excessive physical actions, the received energy does not dissipate for a long time. A person has a feeling of some tension inside. That is why sugar is often referred to as a "stress food".

Food sugar causes a change in the ratio of phosphorus and calcium in the blood, most often the level of calcium increases, while the level of phosphorus decreases. The ratio between calcium and phosphorus continues to be wrong for more than 48 hours after sugar has been consumed.

Due to the fact that the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is severely disturbed, the body cannot fully absorb calcium from food. The best interaction of calcium with phosphorus occurs in a ratio of 2.5: 1, and if these ratios are violated, and there is noticeably more calcium, then additional calcium simply will not be used and absorbed by the body.

Excess calcium will be excreted along with urine, or it can form fairly dense deposits in any soft tissues. Thus, the intake of calcium into the body may be quite sufficient, but if calcium is supplied with sugar, it will be useless. That is why I would like to warn everyone that the calcium in sweetened milk is not absorbed into the body as it should, and this, in turn, increases the risk of developing a disease such as rickets, as well as other diseases associated with calcium deficiency.

In order for the metabolism and oxidation of sugar to proceed correctly, the presence of calcium in the body is absolutely necessary, and due to the fact that there are no minerals in sugar, calcium begins to be borrowed directly from the bones. The reason for the development of a disease such as osteoporosis, as well as diseases of the teeth and weakening of the bones, is, of course, a lack of calcium in the body. A disease such as rickets may be partly due to the excessive consumption of white sugar.

Sugar reduces the strength of the immune system by 17 times! How more sugar in our blood weaker immunity. Why

known to be unambiguously harmful or useful products can not be. And sugar is no exception. It has both its pros and its cons.

Benefit:

● Polish doctors conducted an independent study, as a result of which they found out the following indisputable fact: completely devoid of sugar human body won't last long. Sugar activates blood circulation in the head and spinal cord, and in the event of a complete rejection of sugar, sclerotic changes may occur.

● Scientists have found that it is sugar that significantly reduces the risk of plaque damage to blood vessels, and therefore prevents thrombosis.

● Arthritis in sweet tooth is much less common than in people who deny themselves the pleasure of indulging in sweets.

● Sugar helps to improve the functioning of the liver and spleen. That is why people with diseases of these organs are often recommended a diet with high content sweet.

Harm:

● Sweet spoils the figure. Sugar is a very high-calorie product, but at the same time it contains practically no vitamins, fiber and minerals. Accordingly, you will not be full of sugar alone, and in order to eat, you need to eat something else. And those are extra calories. In addition, often sugar enters the body in combination with fat - in the form of cakes and pastries. And this also does not add harmony.

● Refined sugar, unlike complex carbohydrates like potatoes, is quickly absorbed by the body and causes an instant increase in blood glucose levels. Glucose is the "fuel" that is needed for the work of muscles, organs and cells. human body. But if you drive sedentary image life and the body does not have time to quickly use up such an amount of fuel, it sends excess glucose to the fat depot. And this is not only additional kilograms and centimeters, but also a load on the pancreas.

● Sugar is bad for teeth, it contributes to the formation of caries, although not directly. The main culprit for cavities in teeth is plaque, a microscopic film of bacteria, food particles, and saliva. By combining with plaque, sugar increases the level of acidity in the mouth. The acid erodes tooth enamel and cavities begin.

How much to weigh in grams?

So what to do? Throw away a sack of sugar bought for future use in the trash, or, on the contrary, generously flavor tea and coffee with refined sugar? In fact, you just need to observe the measure.

Nutritionists believe that an adult can eat about 60 g of sugar per day (about 15 pieces of refined sugar or 12 tablespoons of granulated sugar). Anything in excess of this norm is already harmful. It seems that 15 pieces is a lot, but sweet tooth should not rejoice ahead of time. After all, sugar is found not only in the sugar bowl, but also in other places. Judge for yourself:

● Three oatmeal cookies- 20 g of sugar.

● 50g chocolate bar - 60g sugar.

● A glass of sweet soda - 30 g of sugar.

● Apple - 10 g of sugar.

● Glass orange juice- 20 g of sugar.

However, do not think that the body does not care whether you eat an apple or two or three pieces of sugar. Sugars are of two types - internal and external. The former are found in fruits, cereals, and sweet vegetables such as beets and carrots. Since the sugar in them is "packed" in fiber, only a limited amount of it is retained in our body. In addition, this sugar comes with vitamins and trace elements. Another thing is external sugars. They are found in honey, sugary drinks, cakes and sweets. It is these sugars that spoil the teeth and figure.

Brown or white?

Gourmets believe that brown sugar has a more pronounced taste. They even divide it into varieties, being sure that one kind of brown sugar is the most suitable for baking, another for tea or coffee, and a third for fruit salads. In fact, it is very difficult to distinguish between these taste nuances.

One thing is clear, the darker the sugar, the more organic impurities from the juice of plants in it. They say that it is these impurities that supply sugar with a certain amount of trace elements and vitamins. In fact, the amount of nutrients in brown sugar is so small that to call it dietary product in no way possible. But it is not as an example more expensive than white. The fact is that brown sugar is made exclusively from sugar cane and is not produced in our country.

But the beet sugar we are used to can be either white or slightly yellowish. The latter is less purified, which means that vitamins are stored in it.

Is there a replacement?

The only ones who cannot do without sweeteners are people with diabetes. But whether everyone else needs sweeteners, nutritionists still doubt.

Sweeteners are nutritional supplements. Many of them are many times sweeter than sugar, but lower in calories. However, it turned out that this does not mean at all that those who use them will immediately become slim. Scientists conducted an interesting experiment on rats. They fed some rats yogurt containing natural sugars, and others yogurt with artificial substitutes. As a result of the experiment, the appetite of rodents, whose diet included a sugar substitute, increased significantly and they began to get fat. True, it has not yet been proven that substitutes cause a similar effect in humans.

Concerns about sweeteners are not only among nutritionists, but also among physicians. Some doctors believe that some sweeteners can cause kidney failure and have carcinogenic properties. However, all these statements remained speculation.

Numbers

The average US citizen receives about 190 grams of sugar per day from food. This excess allowable rate three times. As for the average Russian, he only eats in its pure form (sand and refined sugar) 100 g per day, which exceeds the norm "only" one and a half times.

What does the word "sugar" mean? This is the most popular product, without which no housewife can do in the kitchen. Sugar is not an independent product, it is added to various products: jams, pastries and other food products. Sugar looks like a white crystalline powder or in the form of small pieces - refined sugar, which children love to chew on.

Almost every everyday food that a person consumes contains sugar. And this sweet product came to us more than 150 years ago. In those days, it was a very expensive product and for poor, ordinary people it was a rare delicacy. Sugar was not sold in stores, as it is now, but in pharmacies. It was weighed on a pharmacy scale and sold by the gram.

Then sugar was obtained from a plant - sugar cane. Its stems contain a large amount of juice, which tastes very sweet. Much later, people learned to get sugar from another plant - a special variety of beets. And now in Russia it is customary to eat sugar, which is made from beets.

By itself, this sweet product is very energetic, as it contains pure sucrose, which, when it enters the human body, is divided into two components: glucose and fructose. They are then absorbed in the body in a matter of minutes. One hundred grams of the product contains more than 400 calories.

How much sugar to eat

From statistical data, we can conclude that every Russian consumes about 100 or more grams of sugar per day. In a week it turns out almost a kilogram, and a huge figure comes out a year. But in the US, the average resident eats 90 grams more sugar than a Russian. Slightly less sugar is consumed in Asia and other European countries. But, according to doctors, people may well do without this product, since the body does not feel an urgent need to get sweets. And daily allowance is only 30 grams of sugar per day.

The harm of sugar to the human body

MirSovetov will again resort to the help of statistical data. Sugar is very harmful to the human body, especially when consumed in excess.

Consider the main ailments caused by excessive consumption of sweets:

Immune system suffers, weakens protective functions organism.
Violation, deficiency of vital minerals and vitamins.
A sharp increase in adrenaline can cause an excited state in children.
Increasing cholesterol levels.
Sugar is a great food cancer cells. May be the cause, reproductive organs, gastrointestinal tract.
Increases glucose levels and can cause severe hypoglycemia.
Calls .
The human body ages prematurely.
The risk of being reduced to is increased.
Destroys tooth enamel.
Leads to excess weight.
Leads to asthma and sclerosis.
Calls .
May cause.
Affects glucose levels in women taking birth control pills.
Reduces vitamin E levels.
Affects the level of insulin in the blood.
Reduces pressure.
Causes apathy in children.
Promotes the development of allergic reactions.
Leads to .
calls skin diseases in children.
Affects normal work liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines.
Promotes delay excess fluid in the body.
Causes a sharp.
Contributes to the development of depressive states, unreasonable aggression.
Affects sexual functions in men.
During pregnancy, it can even provoke premature birth or a delay in the development of the fetus, the birth of a child with low body weight.
May provoke an attack.
Leads to an increase in pressure in full.
Causes dehydration in newborns.

As you can see, the results of eating sweets in excess of the norm are disappointing. In addition to the above, taking this product causes the appearance of rashes on the face at any age. In the sweet tooth, the metabolism is disturbed and new ones are added to the treasury of ailments, since the human immune system cannot cope with the load.

"Sweet poison" acts on the body very slowly, without causing concern in humans. If you didn’t know, MirSovetov will tell you about the main thing: when a person has eaten a sweet product, his body spends its reserves in order to absorb sugar - the level of calcium is depleted, which is gradually washed out of the bone tissue.

Do you remember the feeling when the crystals creak on your teeth? This effect of sweet negatively affects the oral cavity. Sticking to the enamel, the crystals continue to do their "work", which leads to further destruction of the tooth. In addition to this, in oral cavity acidity rises, and this is a direct path to the reproduction of bacteria.

Sugar and fats.

When a person eats a lot of sweets, glycogen is deposited in his liver, it significantly exceeds the norm, and then the body begins to store sweets, forming fat reserves. "Sugar" fats are easy to recognize - they accumulate on the stomach and thighs.

Aging.

If you eat sweets in excess, this can lead to the fact that the skin begins to dehydrate, and wrinkles will appear prematurely. This is due to the fact that excess sugar is deposited, and collagen stores are depleted. Any sweets are a killer of the human body.

Loss of vitamins.

Sugar even in small quantities can harm the body and destroy vitamins. This, first of all, concerns the B vitamins, which are involved in the processes of digestion. To assimilate the amount of sugar that has entered the body, it must work hard: isolate vitamins from its reserves (muscles and organs). Therefore, the more often excess sweetness enters the body, the more it will be depleted. This can lead to overwork, decreased vision, skin problems, and even cause a heart attack.

Effect on the heart.

An excess of white sugar in the body leads to heart disease, and a lack of thiamine can even lead to cardiac arrest.

Energy.

Many believe that if they eat a lot of sugar, they will have a lot of strength and energy. Although sugar is an energy carrier, it causes a deficiency of thiamine, and it turns out that energy is not produced. A person feels a short-term surge of strength, and then droops and his activity decreases.

Due to the use of sweets above the norm, a person can get an attack of hypoglycemia - he begins to feel tired, nauseated, and even twitching his fingers.

The most dangerous.

Sugar can reduce the functioning of the immune system by almost twenty times! This is a direct path to the development of diabetes - an unpleasant and incurable disease. And it is expressed in the inability of the body to absorb sugar. If there is an excess of sweets, the immune system gives significant disruptions, up to death.

What to do

The recipe is simple - to restore health, you need to exclude from daily diet sugar. You don't have to do it 100%. It is necessary to exclude the use of a refined product, do not eat a lot of sweets, cakes and condensed milk. Try to drink tea without sugar, try replacing it with a spoonful of honey (but don't put honey in hot tea!). Avoid sweets and chocolates.

Know the measure and love yourself!