The benefits and harms of sugar for the human body

About the benefits and harms sahara unless a lazy person speaks today. Some claim that in moderate doses it is extremely important for our body, while others say it is a white or sweet death. Be that as it may, both those and others will be right, but despite this, sugar remains one of the most popular foods. In its own form, this product is practically not used, however, it is present on the table of every home and the intake of only a few food products is complete without adding sugar.

Sugar began to be prepared even before our era in India – it was then that people began to actively grow cane, noticing the pleasant sweet taste of its juice. Today, sugar is extracted not only from cane, but also from beets. Why use it? Is it a necessity or a dependency? Let’s try to figure out how much sugar is needed by the human body, how useful and harmful is its use?

The benefits of sugar

Undoubtedly, this product is extremely necessary for our body. But the benefits of sugar can only be talked about if it is consumed in moderation.

• If a person is deprived of sugar altogether, he will not live long… As a result of independent research by Polish doctors, it was found that the consumption of sugar stimulates blood circulation in both the brain and spinal cord. This is ensured by the fact that when it enters the body, the product is broken down to glucose, which feeds the brain. If you completely stop eating sugar, this will increase the risk of developing sclerotic diseases;
• Helps Improve Spleen and Liver Function… Doctors often recommend that patients with diseases of these organs resort to a diet that includes sugary foods. So, glucose helps the liver to remove toxic substances from the body, forming paired glucuronic and sulfuric acids, which neutralize various chemicals such as cresol or phenol;
• Reduces the risk of diseases of the musculoskeletal system… Diseases of the spine and joints in people who occasionally allow themselves to indulge in sweets are much less common than in those who completely refuse foods containing sugar. This is especially true for arthritis;
• Stimulates the synthesis of serotonin… Serotonin is also known as the hormone of joy, the level of which increases in the blood due to the intake of sugar. This hormone improves mood and stabilizes the emotional state, protecting us from stress and depression;
• Prevents the accumulation of blood clots in blood vessels… In the course of research, scientists have found that sugar helps protect blood vessels from plaque damage;
• Provides the body with energy… Sugar is 99 percent carbohydrates, so we can safely say that it is a pure carbohydrate. Naturally, the healthiest sugars are those found in natural fruits, vegetables and nuts in organic form, not industrial form. Natural sugar is perfectly absorbed by the body, being converted into glucose and fructose.

Sugar harm

These are all the health benefits of sugar that you can talk about. In general, refined sugar, which a modern person consumes more than 50 kilograms a year, is a harmful product, especially if it is abused.

• Causes the development of diabetes mellitus… Sugar, entering the body, under the action of digestive juices is split into fructose and glucose, after which it enters the bloodstream. The pancreas synthesizes insulin, which maintains normal blood sugar levels and distributes it evenly throughout the cells of the body. Excess of this product builds up in the body and turns into body fat, which leads to a decrease in blood sugar and an increase in hunger. This leads to the fact that the person begins to eat even more sugary foods, provoking regular increases in sugar levels and the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. Due to the lack of insulin, the blood sugar is filled with sugar and, as a result, the development of diabetes mellitus. If the patient continues to neglect the special diet and consume large amounts of sugar, this can lead to irreparable complications, diabetic coma and even death;
• Dangerous obesity… Sugar is a very high-calorie product. Just 1 gram of sugar has 4 kilocalories. Moreover, it does not contain any useful minerals, vitamins and fiber. In addition, it is worth noting that when it enters the body, it is deposited in the liver in the form of glycogen, and if its reserves are higher than normal, then fat reserves begin to accumulate in the body, especially in the abdomen and hips. Moreover, you use sugar not only by adding it to tea, coffee or confectionery. The problem is that it is found in most foods, even savory ones like sauce, bread, or sausage. This makes it difficult to calculate the sugar consumed per day;
• Overloads the pancreas… As you know, refined sugar is quite effective for athletes and all those who lead an active lifestyle. The fact is that it consists of carbohydrates, which are very quickly absorbed by the body and in an instant increase the level of glucose in the blood. It is this substance that improves muscle function and increases the tone of the whole body. However, a person who abuses sweets and at the same time does not move much risks not only gaining extra pounds, but also harm his pancreas. The fact is that the body of such a person simply does not have time to use up glucose, which ultimately ends up in body fat;
• Corrodes tooth enamel… This product increases the risk of caries formation, because together with plaque, saliva, food particles and bacteria film, it increases acidity in the oral cavity, which damages tooth enamel and provokes caries;
• Increases the feeling of false hunger… There are cells in the brain that control appetite and make you feel hungry even when you are actually full. Regular intake of food with a high sugar content is dangerous by the activation of free radicals, which disrupt the normal functioning of neurons and lead to a false feeling of hunger. The same sensation is caused by a sharp drop in glucose levels after its rapid increase, due to which the brain signals a lack of glucose in the blood;
• Addictive… Sugar dependence has been proven by studies in rats. With frequent use of this product, the same changes occurred in the brain of rats as under the influence of nicotine, morphine or cocaine. Scientists claim that similar processes will occur in the human brain;
• Accelerates the aging process… People who abuse sugary foods show wrinkles on the skin ahead of time. This is due to the fact that sugar stores are deposited in the collagen of the skin, which negatively affects its elasticity. Moreover, refined sugar stimulates the action of free radicals that destroy our internal organs and cells;
• Disrupts cardiac activity… Sugar intake causes a thiamine deficiency in the body, which is dangerous due to dystrophy of the heart muscle tissue and even extravascular fluid accumulation, which can lead to cardiac arrest;
• Depletes the body… In moderate doses, sugar allows a person to recharge with vigor, but excessive consumption of it leads to a lack of thiamine and, as a result, to a deterioration in carbohydrate metabolism. Because of this, energy will not be consumed in sufficient quantities, which will lead to chronic fatigue and decreased activity. Due to sudden surges in sugar, an attack of hypoglycemia can also occur, which is manifested by drowsiness, apathy, trembling of the limbs, depression, dizziness, fatigue and nausea;
• Deprives the body of B vitamins… These vitamins are essential for normal digestive processes and the absorption of foods that contain sugar and starch. Since there are no B vitamins in white sugar, the body needs to remove these vitamins from all vital internal organs, blood and muscles in order to assimilate the refined sugar. Sugar abuse leads to an intensive disposal of the body of B vitamins, which is dangerous with disorders of the digestive processes, chronic fatigue syndrome, blurred vision, nervous irritability, heart attacks and many other unpleasant consequences;
• Washes out calcium… People who often enjoy eating sweets run the risk of problems associated with a lack of calcium in the body. After taking sugar, the ratio between phosphorus and calcium is disturbed, which continues for more than two days. Because of this, the body cannot fully absorb calcium from food, since sugar intake increases the amount of this element in relation to phosphorus. Therefore, its excess will simply not be absorbed by the body, being excreted in the urine or forming deposits in soft tissues. Calcium taken with sugar is absolutely useless for the body, while it does not allow the absorption of useful calcium, which ensures normal metabolism and oxidation processes. All this leads to its deficiency and the development of diseases such as rickets or fragility of bones;
• Weakens the immune system… The amount of sugar in the blood directly affects our immunity, and the more there is, the weaker our body is. Scientists have proven that this product is able to reduce the protective functions of the body by 17 times.

In conclusion, we can say that this is a very controversial product. The benefits and harms of sugar are controversial and depend on how often and how much a person takes it. Experts recommend consuming only organic sugars found in honey, fruits and vegetables. Refined sugar is harmless only if you eat no more than 60 grams per day, which equals 12 tablespoons. It may seem like a lot, but only three oatmeal cookies contain a third of the daily value of its use.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of sugar

Video about the benefits and harms of sugar