Sugar is unequal
When talking about the presence of sugar in our diet, we usually mean the one enchanted in sweet crystals. It is much easier for us to visualize the sugar content in a given product, for example, with white cubes. In fact, sugars are just a common name for carbohydrates, which are organic chemicals made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates are the basis of a good, balanced diet and play an important role in the proper functioning of our body.
However, not everything is as black and white as it may seem, and therefore not all carbohydrates have a positive effect on our health. We can divide them into two groups: simple and complex carbohydrates. In order not to mix too much, the first will function later in the article as “bad” sugars, while the second as “good” sugars. As a result of processing, “bad” sugars have been deprived of fiber and many other valuable nutrients. Usually, a diet rich in such carbohydrates leads to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Products containing “bad” sugars are primarily:
- table sugar,
- candy,
- cakes and pies,
- salty snacks,
- fast-food,
- colorful drinks,
- jams (with exceptions, e.g. Łowicz Dżem 100% or Sympathica)
- ice-cream,
- White bread.
“Good” sugars, i.e. the previously mentioned complex carbohydrates, occur in a natural form. Thanks to this, they are digested by our body much longer, and energy from food is released gradually. Products rich in “good” sugars also contain a lot of fiber and the most important ingredients supporting metabolism, and they help to keep the glucose level at a constant level. We can find them, among others, in:
- wholemeal bread,
- bran and oatmeal,
- buckwheat and millet,
- carrots, beets, cucumbers or tomatoes,
- whole grain pasta,
- brown, red or black rice.
As you can see, demonizing the presence of sugars in the diet is primarily due to a misunderstanding of the concept. The most important thing is to control the amount of “good” sugars consumed (which is allowed, among others, by the Tasty Matched diet), while avoiding processed products, high in “bad” sugars.
| Recommendations |
|---|
| The World Health Organization (known as WHO) recommends that “bad” sugars should not exceed 10% of our daily intake. If its value is 1800 kcal, you can eat up to 180 kcal of “bad sugar” in any form. |
Okay, but can you become addicted to sweets and snacks then?
White death
For many years we can meet with the statement that sugar is just as addictive as drugs. Calling it “white death” works much better on our imagination and works perfectly as a message for numerous media awareness campaigns.
However, the assumption that you are addicted to sugar (derived from the products mentioned earlier in the group of “bad” sugars) is completely unjustified and, above all, not confirmed from the physiological point of view. If the fact of sugar addiction really took place: when craving for sweets, we would pour the contents of the sugar bowl into our mouths. However, this is not the first thing we reach for. Usually, there is chocolate with over 50% of its energy value covered with fat, or bars with a fat content exceeding 45%. Also, sugar is not entirely to blame for its “addiction” to sweets.
It is about the high palatability of the product, which depends on the amount of carbohydrates and fat in the diet, because it is the flavor carrier. A baguette with garlic butter is just as attractive to us than dry, fried fries than baked potatoes.
Of course, there is also the other side of the coin, the so-called addictive eating theory. We should remember that although it is quite an interesting issue, it is not accidentally called a theory. Eating a meal is closely related to the stimulation of the reward system in our brain and the secretion of hormones, such as dopamine, which is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. According to the theory mentioned above, our reward system may react too weakly or too strongly to the consumed meal.
In the first case, when the reaction is too weak, we will eat enough food to finally get enough pleasant sensations. In the second, when the reward system is overactive, we can lose control because of too much desire to eat and feel pleasure.
Be a conscious consumer, don’t be fooled
In recent years, Poles have undergone a nutritional revolution and have become much more aware of what they eat. Unfortunately, we must remember that producers are also awake and are increasingly resorting to nefarious tricks. On product labels, “bad” sugar is hidden under the name “glucose-fructose syrup”, and this is not the only camouflage of this type.
Often, on the shelves with healthy food, we can also find products with cane sugar or honey, and these, despite some good properties, are not better than white. Sugar is sugar – excess sugar is harmful.
Even by carefully checking the labels, we can be outsmarted. Therefore, it is worth monitoring whether the well-known products are recommended by nutritionists. We encourage you to follow profiles on social media such as:
https://www.instagram.com/parents.2be/
https://www.instagram.com/zdrowostki/
https://www.instagram.com/czytamyetykiety/
Lots of advice on the nutrition of the youngest, including the harmfulness of sugar, can also be found in the e-book developed by specialists, «A Guide to Nutrition for Children. Every bite makes sense ».
Źródła:
https://natemat.pl/218203,wyklety-i-zdemonizowany-cukier…
https://motywatordietetyczny.pl/2019/03/56-nazw-pod-ktorymi…
https://motywatordietetyczny.pl/2017/11/dobre-i-zle-weglowodany…
http://www.medicall.com.pl/czytelnia/dobre-i-zle-weglowodany…
https://www.poradnikzdrowie.pl/diety-i-zywienie/co-jesz/weglowodany…