MUST READ: 8 Things You Didn’t Understand About Sugar

Sugar certainly has gotten a bad rap lately. It’s blamed for everything from obesity and diabetes to heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. But is it really all that bad? Is there nothing redeeming about those tiny, sweet granules? Or is a lot of what we hear misinformation?

We know one thing for sure. Sugar consumption has skyrocketed. Most people obtain 16 percent of their total calories from added sugars, namely soda, energy and sports drinks, grain-based desserts, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, dairy-based desserts and candy. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation? We should only be getting less than 10 percent of our daily calories from added sugar. In 2014, the WHO even proposed slashing that recommended rate to less than 5 percent.
Clearly, we need to pay attention to sugar and our consumption rate. But first, we need to learn the truth about our favorite sweetener.
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8 Myths About Sugar

• Sugar is an addictive substance

Sugar is actually an addictive substance. Animal studies show sugar consumption causes bingeing, withdrawal and craving. Regularly eating sugar also makes it easier to become addicted to another drug. When humans were studied, consuming fructose (a form of sugar) caused the brain’s reward center to light up. Additional research shows sugar and sweetness can actually be more addictive, rewarding and attractive than drugs such as cocaine. Seems a bit preposterous, but a possible explanation, say scientists, is humankind’s past evolutionary need to eat foods high in calories and sugar  Another problem is that sugar is added to more products than you might think – it’s in ketchup, instant oatmeal and spaghetti sauce, for starters.

• Added Sugar is Actually Bad

Added sugars are particularly worrisome. Added sugars are sugars or syrups that are tossed into our food and drink during processing or preparation. They can be natural (e.g., honey) or chemically manufactured (e.g., high fructose corn syrup). They’re troubling because they don’t provide any nutrients — just excessive calories. And they’re in more products than you might think. Yet you don’t have to nix all added sugar from your diet. Sugar may not have any nutritional value, but it can enhance the flavor of foods that do provide important nutrients, such as whole-grain cereal or yogurt. So if sprinkling some sugar over a cup of healthy, plain yogurt is the only way you’ll eat the yogurt, it’s worth it to add the sweetness. It’s better to buy the no-added-sugar version of the product and add a little sugar than to buy the “regular” or fully sweetened version.

• Artificial Sweeteners are Healthier than Sugar

Many health-conscious people favor artificial sweeteners for their food, figuring they’re a better bet because they don’t contain any calories. It’s true you’re avoiding calories when you stick with artificial sweeteners.

• Sugar-free Diets Are The Best

So we eat too much sugar. And artificial sweeteners or other forms of the sweet stuff, like raw sugar, aren’t any better than plain old table sugar. So maybe the answer is simply to cut all sugar out of our diets. Perhaps. But that is a complicated plan. Technically, if you were able to eliminate all sugar from your diet — meaning eating solely foods where no sugar was added during its creation or afterward — that might be the healthiest option.

• Eat Less Sugary Fruits?

There’s no denying it, fruit contains sugar. A lot of it. Think of biting into a fresh, juicy peach or pear, and all of that sweet juice exploding in your mouth (or dribbling down your chin). Is it really so bad for you? No. True, there’s a lot of sugar in fruit. But it’s natural sugar, or fructose, which is far healthier than added sugar. Fructose isn’t the only thing you’ll find in that peach or pear, though. Fruit is also filled with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and other nutrients that are great for your body, helping it fight disease, stabilize your blood sugar and more. Fruit is also considered a low-density food, which means it makes you feel full and satisfied. This is a positive, because if you’re satiated, you won’t eat too much fruit, nor will you be tempted to start noshing on something else that might not be nearly as healthy (say, a chewy chocolate chip cookie). So load up on fruit with no worries

• Sugar Causes Diabetes?

One of the more prevalent sugar myths is that it causes diabetes. This misconception likely occurs because diabetics’ blood sugar levels are often out of whack, so they have to watch their sugar intake. But in general, there is no direct cause and effect between sugar consumption and the development of diabetes.

• Sugar Causes Hyperactivity?

There have been extensive studies about the relationship between sugar and hyperactivity, and no link has been found between the two

• Sugar Causes Tooth decay

If your teeth come in contact with sugary foods and drinks, decay can result. But that’s only if those sugary substances sit on your teeth for a long time. Further, your teeth can also be damaged if all sorts of other foods are in contact with them for prolonged periods — fruit, for example, or bread or oatmeal. To prevent tooth decay, then, it’s best to brush your teeth after eating. Even rinsing your mouth with water can help. If you’ve eaten foods that can easily get stuck in your teeth, like raisins, dry cereal, popcorn or raspberries, a thorough job of brushing, flossing and rinsing your teeth is critical.
Stay Healthy!!!