- Harm of sugar consumption
- Why sugar is addictive to the brain
- Sugar consumption recommendation
- Foods high in sugar
- How to sweeten without sugar
- How to adapt the taste to not need sugar
Sugar consumption, especially white sugar, is linked to an increased risk of having problems such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, gastritis and constipation.
In addition to white sugar, excessive consumption of sugar-rich sweet products, such as mousses and cakes, is also harmful to health, and it is necessary to avoid these foods to keep the body healthy and avoid being overweight.
Harm of sugar consumption
Frequent sugar consumption increases the chances of having problems such as:
- Tooth decay; Obesity; Diabetes; High cholesterol; Liver fat; Cancer; Gastritis; High blood pressure; Gout; Constipation; Decreased memory; Myopia; Thrombosis; Acne.
In addition, sugar provides only empty calories to the body, as it contains no vitamins or minerals, which are essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the body.
Why sugar is addictive to the brain
Sugar is addictive to the brain because it stimulates the production of a hormone called dopamine, which is responsible for the sensation of pleasure and well-being, causing the body to become addicted to this type of food.
In addition to addiction, excess sugar also impairs memory and hinders learning, which leads to decreased performance in studies and work.
Sugar consumption recommendation
The recommended consumption of sugar per day is 25 g, which is equivalent to a full tablespoon, but the ideal is to avoid eating this food as much as possible, as the body does not need it to function well.
In addition, the consumption of brown sugar or honey should be preferred, as they contain more vitamins and minerals than the refined product, being less harmful to health.
Foods high in sugar
In addition to white sugar, many foods contain this ingredient in their recipe, also causing harm to health. Some examples are:
- Desserts: cakes, puddings, sweets and sugary breads; Drinks: soft drinks, canned juices and powdered juices; Industrialized products: chocolate, gelatin, stuffed biscuit, ketchup, condensed milk, Nutella, karo honey.
Thus, it is important to avoid consuming these foods and always look at the label to see if sugar has been used as an ingredient to manufacture the product. See how much sugar is in the most consumed foods.
How to sweeten without sugar
To sweeten juices, coffees, natural yoghurts or make recipes for cakes and sweets, one should prefer to use diet sweeteners instead of sugar. The best sweeteners are natural ones, such as stevia, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol and thaumatin, and can be used in all types of recipes and preparations.
Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sodium cyclamate, saccharin and sucralose, are made from chemical substances, and are not recommended especially for children and pregnant women. In addition, it is ideal that drinks such as juices, coffees and teas are taken without added sugar or sweeteners, and natural yogurt, in turn, can be lightly sweetened with a little honey or fruit. See a complete list of natural and artificial sweeteners.
How to adapt the taste to not need sugar
The palate takes about 3 weeks to get used to the less sweet taste, as it takes time to renew the taste buds on the tongue, which end up adapting to new flavors.
To facilitate the change and the acceptance of the taste, it is possible to remove the sugar little by little, reducing the amount used in the food until completely zero. And the same must be done with sweeteners, reducing the amount of drops used. In addition, consumption of foods that may be bitter or sour, such as sour fruits and raw vegetables, should be increased.
To improve health and prevent disease, see 3 simple steps to decrease sugar consumption.
