Sugars have been present in humans' diets since prehistoric times, although their consumption has evolved based on what sweeteners were available and affordable. Sugars are carbohydrates (saccharides) and provide energy in the diet. Sugar goes by numerous names. Many sweet-tasting natural compounds, such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose, can be found in various fruits and vegetables.
Sugar is so prevalent in our diet that we often exceed the permissible daily amount without knowing it. Our body requires glucose as fuel to operate, but an overabundance of it poses a real danger. Studies on the outcomes of sugar consumption on health have been conducted for a long time. To this day, there is still disagreement about whether or not it affects physical, neurological, and cognitive well-being.
High sugar diet has been associated with obesity, metabolic disorders, diabetes., cancer, and even depression. The effect of sugar is toxic to the human body. We recommend moderation in simple sugars. Learn more about sugar and how it affects your body.
Sugars are the group of carbohydrates — macronutrients necessary in human nutrition. Sugar is also essential to our metabolic pathways and helps regulate the body's energy balance. Carbohydrates, or saccharides
, are divided into four groups based on their chemical structure. This makes the sugars these chemical compounds:
They can be simple organic compounds that are simpler than polysaccharides. They are also called simple sugars. Your whole body is rushed, and they fill you up only for a short period. It consists of one molecule, so the digestive process is not required. Monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, etc. They are prevalent and usually contained in foods. You can find glucose and fructose in fruit and honey. Fructose differs from glucose because it is insulin-independent and metabolized mainly in the liver. Fructose is also the sweetest food carbohydrate of all.
Disaccharides are composed of two simple sugar molecules. They belong to the group of sucrose (a sugar made up of glucose and fructose) as well as lactose and maltose. Disaccharides are found in cane or beet table sugar, cereals, and dairy products. Disaccharides have a similar effect to monosaccharides – they give the body an immediate and powerful energy boost, which is depleted just as quickly. Disaccharides are a substitute for monosaccharides in sweets and candies and a natural preservative.
Oligosaccharides are short carbohydrate chains – several sugars. It is longer than a simple saccharide and is considered to be healthier. They are formed by connecting several molecules of a simple sugar through a bond. Several- sugar gives out energy that takes longer to release but lingers longer. Oligosaccharides have other effects besides providing energy, such as forming microflora in the gut. Oligosaccharides include maltodextrins found in cereals, dairy, and vegetables.
Polysaccharides are sugars that consist of ten or more molecules. Saccharides create longer bonds, which is why they are also known as complex carbohydrates. Polysaccharides include amylose, cellulose, and pectin, which are found in products like flour, seeds, and meat. The prime polysaccharide is starch, the primary energy foundation stored in vegetable roots and cereal grains. Starch polysaccharides are nutritionally viable sugars. Polysaccharides appear naturally in living creatures and perform incredibly vital functions. They are also used to manufacture drugs or cosmetics.
According to the current guidelines by health experts and the World Health Organization, the intake of free sugar, which constitutes simple sugars and disaccharides, should be limited. Health experts recommend that sugar be less than ten percent of the total energy intake of individuals on a daily basis for both adults and children.
This has been demonstrated in clinical and epidemiologic studies, in which populations with overconsumption of added sugar, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, are shown to gain more weight and have a higher risk of a wide range of diseases. However, the problem of sugar intake is eminent in the Western diet since a large percentage of sugar is refined or processed. Thus, it is essential to recognize how simple sugars affect the human body.
When the sugar is consumed too high, all the energy it provides must be stored in fat cells. Consequently, the effect of sugar-containing foods on obesity is that the excess sugar in the diet results in higher energy balance, weight gain, and fat storage, and consequently, in overweight and obesity. Both overweight and obesity are common diseases of civilization and pose a worldwide health issue. These conditions dramatically increase the risk of health-related problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, etc.
Moreover, the effect of sugar-containing foods on obesity is that the excess sugar in the diet is one of the factors for being obese. Apart from that, another factor that helped me to see the association between this factor and the work is the increasing prevalence of physical inactivity. Additionally, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup are widely used food additives in the US and other countries, and they are strongly associated with obesity. Nevertheless, there are high-fiber, low-glycaemic-index carbohydrates, and these foods are not the cause of obesity; on the contrary, they can serve as a protective factor.
The high glycaemic index of sugary foods metabolically promotes carbohydrate oxidation at the expense of fatty acid oxidation. This process causes insulin resistance and weight gain. Therefore, while diabetes is often a consequence of obesity, it can also occur in lean people. Increased consumption of simple sugars is usually associated with impaired insulin signaling and increased fasting glucose and insulin levels. Consequently, there is likely an established association between type 2 diabetes and increased sugar consumption.
Medical professionals found that the reduction of sugar was associated with a decrease in the incidence of diabetes. However, the development of diabetes is a long process. This especially applies to glucose and fructose, which are more harmful to the human body when consumed in large amounts. It is essential to state that fructose from natural sources presents much less of a threat than processed fructose. However, the fact that people consume nature's fructose in the form of fruit, containing fiber, is a variable that protects against the development of diabetes per se rather than leads to it.
There is a direct relation between diet and a large number of various cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the experts observed that increased sugar intake was directly related to a high dyslipidemia incidence. Dyslipidaemia often leads to severe changes in lipid levels associated with chronic inflammation in the target organ, which the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques can accomplish. Such an observable factor may lead to an increased rate of cardiovascular disease appearance.
Other studies show a direct relation between stroke and a large number of different problems. There is also a relation between heart disease and hyperglycemia. Thus, diabetes will further aggravate your risk. The other factor is the presence of trans fats in the diet. Conversely, consuming complex carbohydrates in combination with polyunsaturated fatty acids was a protective factor.
The reaction is formed in the liver, utilizing glucose to create fat. Consequently, fructose is also usually involved, but employing too much fructose to form fats will accumulate fat, causing liver damage. Thus, the formation of diseases related to the liver is connected to how different carbohydrates utilized are metabolized. Simple sugars are mainly absorbed through the mouth and comprise almost no catalyst; therefore, glucose rises in the blood before absorbing the carbohydrates. Consequently, everything makes neurons, while the absorption rate is preserved throughout the body. In other words, this blood sugar strain is unsuitable for the remaining struggles.
Moreover, the body cannot digest so many sugars at once. Consequently, many organs are stressed, including the liver. At the same time, complex sugars are easily divided in the digestion process and individually absorbed into the organism's blood through Buchanan's brain, stimulating everything. The time needed for this process is long, so it is easy for the body to keep it in. In addition, excess sugar causes diabetes, one of the outward symptoms of which is fatty liver.
Sugar affects brain work to a great extent. This organ needs carbohydrates to have the energy to make the function work. The brain takes its powers from glucose, which is supplied when metabolizing. As a result, glucose metabolism is crucial for neurons to operate. However, excessive eating of sugar can lead to cognitive impairment. Cognitive function encompasses memory, object recognition, and concentration. Hence, an abundance of sugar in one's diet may also present a possibility of getting dementia. Intake of sugars more than necessary can destroy the hippocampus and have a neuroinflammatory effect.
Furthermore, overeating sucrose is dangerous for pregnant females and their children as sugar corrupts the brain tissue of children. The perinatal period, childhood, and adolescence are when a person is exposed to harmful factors such as diet and its consequent effects to a much greater extent. Specifically, in the long run, excess sugar in the diet may facilitate the “acquisition of cognitive impairment.”
It is essential to mention that besides cognitive, sugar can have negative implications on mood and behavior. Hence, in this respect, hypoglycemia can be a worsening of mood in patients, enduring the risk of depression. The researchers claim that depression correlates with a high-sugar diet. It is necessary to point out that symptoms of depression could be more common in people who are abusing simple sugars.
What is more, the study has underlined that patients eating a lot of sugar also seem to have suicidal thoughts. Moreover, a high-sugar diet can also be associated with stress, anxiety, and hyperactivity. Nevertheless, more research on mood and sugar is yet to be conducted to prove the mentioned correlations.
People who consume sugar regularly are more likely to develop tooth decay, especially if they do not brush their teeth with a toothbrush. Regular sugar consumption creates the conditions for various bacteria to grow in the mouth. The result of their effects is the appearance of plaque on the tooth surface. Caries-forming bacteria form a bacterial biofilm in the mouth and live in the tooth plaque.
Compared to other nutrients, many carbohydrates humans consume are prone to decay. These are mainly, but not only, sucrose and glucose, as well as maltose and lactose. Caries-forming bacteria thrive in low pH and sugar, which has this effect. Hence, manual oral hygiene is essential, as it often removes tartar.
Sugar is linked to cancer in terms of the relationship to the level of obesity. Overweight people who consume over-the-top amounts of sugar are much more likely to become affected by cancer. On the other hand, the casual generation of such diseases is linked to extreme and uncontrolled blood sugar fluctuations.
Moreover, excess carbohydrates can damage human organs, blood, and arteries. However, low blood sugar levels would cause the release of cortisol, which effectively urges the human body to look for food. The mentioned facts are connected to an outstanding proportion of cancer appearances.
Simple sugars, glucose, and fructose are believed to be less healthy sugars. These types of sugar are accountable for the diseases mentioned above. However, complex sugar does the job better and avoids additional risk factors. Hence, there is no need to exclude sugar at all, and even if there is a need, it should be limited, and the intake of more beneficial sugar types is advised. People's sugar needs can differ depending on their lifestyle and health conditions.
Concerning the limit, nutrition experts recommend that the absolute lower limit should be 130 g daily for children and adults. Carbohydrates should not exceed 65% of the daily calorie intake. Ideally, it should be 45%, but the best option is that these carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates. If the given recommendation is followed, the nutrient and energy intake will be well-balanced. Also, when sports activities are present, people will not need to fear simple sugars.
Table of Contents
Carbohydrates are organic compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They are one of the main types of… read more »
When blood glucose levels are too high, it leads to a hyperglycemia. Discover effective ways to reduce your sugar levels… read more »
Corn syrup is a popular sweetener that is added to many foods. However, there are some problems associated with this… read more »
Honey not only delights with its sweet taste, but also has many health properties. Learn about the benefits of eating… read more »
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Obesity is a chronic disease. It is associated with excessive accumulation of fat tissue. What leads to obesity? What is… read more »
Hypoglycemia is a set of symptoms associated with a decrease in blood sugar levels, which disappears after the administration of… read more »
Ginseng is a plant that has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Today, the plant is still… read more »
Agave has numerous health benefits. The popular agave syrup is considered a good substitute for sugar. But is it? Find… read more »
