Sugar is an interesting topic – especially if you are trying to cram into last year’s swimsuit after lockdown indulgences. There seems to be a myriad of misunderstandings around sugar, I hope to clarify a few things.
The sugar story starts with fat, as fat was labelled the bad guy first. Post World War II, fat was linked to heart disease and that began the anti-fat trend, which to a large extent is still in vogue today. While there is evidence to support this to some degree, there are many other factors and variables which cloud what is going on.
The World Health Organisation claims cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of deaths globally, costing an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. This suggests to me that the anti-fat approach isn’t that successful, and that the cause of heart disease is more complex than just one variable being responsible.
In the food industry, the anti-fat approach meant food lost its flavour and so the addition of artificial flavourings and sugars were introduced – from a few hundred additives to many thousands.
Sugars became prevalent in most foods and our intake became massive. Now we are seeing the effects of overdosing on sugar. Alternative medicine advocate Dr Joseph Mercola estimates that 70 per cent of Americans will develop hypoglycaemia. This typically leads to type 2 diabetes if unresolved.
Hence, the anti-sugar trend has begun. However, sugar is as harmless as fat if it is eaten correctly in moderation. The problem is that sugar hides in many forms. These include:
Refined sugar. This is perhaps the ugliest version of sugar. It’s what is typically used at home in baking, on Weetbix and in your cup of tea. Small amounts are not too bad (a few teaspoons a day), but do a count and see how much you are consuming!
Honey, syrups (maple, date etc). While these are less refined, they are still very high in sugar and should be used sparingly.
Fruit sugars. These are generally the safest as they are in the fruit and not refined. But some fruits are much higher in sugar than others (e.g. grapes/raisins).
Carbohydrates, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, flours. These breakdown into sugars quite easily. The refined carbohydrates (white bread/pasta/rice) and potatoes are the sneaky ones as they don’t seem obvious. These contribute to a huge part of the obesity problem as well as disturbing blood sugars.
Alcohol. This deserves its own category. Typically, it is the added refined sugars that are the biggest problem. But generally, very high in sugar!
Artificial sugars. There is much controversy around these as well.
So, while you may think you don’t have much sugar, when you add it up you may be consuming enough for a week in one day. Keep a sugar diary and see for yourself.
Eugene Sims, Warkworth Natural Therapies
www.wnt.co.nz
Health - Warkworth Natural Therapies
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