Sugar: not to pardon executed

Well, where would you put a comma? How to find out who do we still have to sugar – a friend or sworn enemy, the “white death”, as they call it, many nutritionists?

Sugar benefit, harm

Until now, many nutritionists continue to sow panic and blame the sugar in all mortal sins, I mean human diseases – from the neuroses in children to cancer in adults. Really, everything is really so awful?

In fact, many “crimes”, which was charged with sugar, are myths. Today, for example, we have shown that children who eat a lot of sweet, does not suffer from hyperactivity, as previously thought.

But on one point the doctors are unanimous: the excessive consumption of sugar really provokes obesity. After all, sugar, after all – a high-calorie product, which contains almost no vitamins, fiber and minerals. Accordingly, a person who had eaten quite a lot of sugar, and should have something else. And this, of course, the extra calories. As a result, sooner or later a person begins to gain weight.

So far we have talked about the “pure” white sugar. But his brown little brother purified health benefits. In the brown sugar contains vitamins, minerals, vegetable fibers, which make the process of learning easy for the body. In addition, carbohydrates – not the most caloric of the diet. Energy value of fat in 2 times – 9 calories per 1 g. Therefore, to lose weight, you need to first limit the intake of fat – say nutritionists.

Food, even with a high content of carbohydrates, less calories, is a larger volume in the stomach and can reduce body weight without feeling hungry. Only in this case, of course, is not about candy, cakes and pastries, and of vegetables and fruits rich in pectin, starch and natural sugars (there are such) contained in potatoes, carrots, beets, apples.

What are the sugar

We all tend to think that sugar – nothing like a white friable substance, or cubes, which we sweetens tea or coffee. But this is only partly true. The family of sugars, or as they are often called “simple sugars” include glucose, fructose, sucrose (those white bricks or sand), lactose (milk sugar), maltose (malt sugar), stachyose (found in legumes), galactose and trehalose (mushroom sugar). Of them have the nutritional value of the first four. So it makes sense to dwell only on those sugars that we encounter in everyday life.

Sucrose, or familiar to us all sugar is a disaccharide that is, its molecule is composed of molecules of glucose and fructose, joined together. This is the most common component of food, although the nature of sucrose does not occur too often.

That sucrose is the most outrage nutritionists. It is, he says, and obesity provokes, and gives no useful body of calories, but only “empty”, and dangerous for diabetics. So, in relation to the white bread glycemic index of sucrose is 89, and in relation to glucose – only 58. The glycemic index – is the rate of digestion of carbohydrates, 100% in some cases, white bread is taken, the rest – glucose. The higher the glycemic index, the faster rise in blood glucose after ingestion of sugar. This causes the release of pancreatic hormone insulin, transporting glucose into the tissues. Too big influx of sugar leads to the fact that some of them went to the fat and it turns to fat (forming exactly the margin that most of us do not need you!). On the other hand, quickly digestible carbohydrates vysokoglikemicheskie, that is, they can be used to get quick energy.

For diabetic and sugar really “white death”. By the way, diabetes is of two kinds. In the first type of diabetes insulin just does not stand in the right quantities, Type II diabetes develops for other reasons. The first type of diabetes can be triggered by excess carbohydrates, because some sucrose and referred to as “white poison”.

Protracted pause between traditional meals? It is not forbidden to start the meal with a spoon of sugar. After all carbohydrates – a unique fuel for brain cells. They can be quickly “fill the” starving the nervous system, drown ravenous appetite and, thus, avoid overeating. But, again, we must know when to stop!

Sucrose is also accused of damaging the teeth. Yes, this is a sad effect may occur, but only if immoderate consumption.

Sucrose is recommended for acute nephritis, kidney failure or liver disease, rarely with acute hepatitis and cholecystitis or their aggravation. Patients should be 5 times a day drink a glass of tea with 30 grams of sugar. But for a person with normally functioning hormonal system, small (!) Of sucrose may even be useful. Sugar – our sweet salvation, if, for example, on an empty stomach or dizzy headache. The reason is the same – a low level of glucose in the body.

Glucose – the most common component contained in the different berries. This is a simple sugar, ie glucose molecule consists of only one ring. Glucose is less sweet than sucrose, it has a high glycemic index (138 in relation to white bread). Accordingly, it is more likely to turn into fat because it causes a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, it makes the most valuable source of glucose so-called “quick energy.”

Unfortunately, the energy burst may be followed by a rapid decline, pregnant hypoglycemic coma (loss of consciousness due to a lack of the brain sugar) and the development of diabetes.

Fructose rich in all kinds of fruit and honey. Due to the low glycemic index (31 in relation to white bread) and sweet enough, it has long been considered by nutritionists as an alternative to sucrose. In addition, the assimilation of fructose in the first stage does not require the involvement of insulin, therefore, it can be sometimes used in diabetes. But it is clear that as a source of “quick energy” Fructose is not effective.

Lactose, or milk sugar found in milk and dairy products. It is also rich in poorly purified milk proteins. The glycemic index of white bread with lactose 69, that is lower than that of sucrose, but higher than that of fructose.

It should be noted that about 5% of the population experiencing problems due to lack of lactase – an enzyme that breaks down lactose. Lactose affects the teeth as well as sucrose, in a word, bad.

Maltose – a basic simple products can be found in some types of molasses are also a number of maltose is present in beer. The glycemic index of maltose in relation to white bread – 152. As you probably already understand the meaning of its common sugar substitute does not.

Allowable amount of sugar

So much still needed to sugars is not to grow stout? Scientists around the world for many, many years trying to answer this question. It was only in April 2003, the most authoritative World Health Organization issued its verdict. According to scholars, representing the Organization in a healthy person with sugar should do no more than 10% of calories from the daily diet. If you convert grams into pieces of refined sugar, will pretty well – 10-12 pieces.

But the fact that the daily rate includes not only the sugar that we add to coffee, tea or cereal, but the sugars in the rest of the food we eat. Meanwhile, carbonated beverage jar, for example, may contain about 40 grams of sugar! After drinking a can of the day and sipping sweet coffee with milk in the morning, we already exceed a quota on the number of sugar. What if we offered a cake at work, and refuse uncomfortable? That’s it.

Tireless Americans estimate that the average U.S. citizen receives about 190 food-grams of sugar per day. This excess of the allowed rate of 3 times. As for the average Russian, then he, according to “Soyuzrossahara”, on the average only in pure form (“sand” and refined sugar), eat 100 grams a day. Can you imagine?

Sugar substitutes

Many nutritionists rely on the fact that it will be possible to invent a unique sweetener that will be sweet and devoid of calories, and safe for health.

In fact, sugar substitutes, this is an artificially synthesized nutritional supplements, many of them hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, but devoid of its caloric content. Most often, sugar substitutes are pills that can be used instead of sugar in coffee or tea, and they are suitable for the preparation of stewed fruit, jelly, canning. By permission from us in Russia include a sugar substitute atsesulfat potassium tsiklomat sodium, aspartame and sucralose. Officially, these substances in the official market, it is absolutely harmless. In pharmacies, they are hiding behind the names “Sukralyuks”, “Svitli”, “Suslin”, “Tsyukli” and “Nutrisvit.” When obtaining of sugar substitutes, carefully read the label – it should be labeled composition. And it seems that it may be easier – you throw, how many you want, tabletochek in tea or coffee and rejoice life. But it is not so simple.

First, we found that sugar substitutes, though not so high in calories, like a simple sugar, but significantly increases the appetite. Thus, a person begins to gain weight anyway. Second, a large number of them do not use because it may result in stomach upset.

And finally, many doctors believe that sugar substitutes are, in principle, are harmful to human body. Thus, in many countries is banned for use sugar substitute-tsiklomat (30 times sweeter than sugar), as scientists fear that it can cause kidney failure. Other sweeteners are also frequently accused of hazards – some doctors, for example, believe that saccharin be carcinogenic. But still, no assumption has not been proven.

Sugar consumption

The undisputed evidence in favor of a reasonable (!) Of sugar in the daily diet, was the research of some British scientists have dispelled a well-established myth, that of “white death” fattening. “Sugar – not just a vital component of an active lifestyle, but also a way to control their own weight” – say in the International Sugar Organization.

Sugar consumption (within reason) does not provoke the development of obesity, and people should certainly use it in food. But to say that to reduce weight should increase their consumption of sugar – absolute nonsense – believe the scientists.

Renowned British nutritionists consider: the true cause of obesity is that people in the world today have become much less mobile and consume calories much more than they need the body. In addition to the mandatory breakfast, lunch and dinner, we still take food while watching television! Plus kusochnichaem constantly, which is also not the best way is reflected in the figure.

Polish doctors conducted an independent study, which found the following incontrovertible fact: in general, devoid of sugar, the human body would not last long. Completely depriving yourself of sweet, people risk becoming an idiot. This is the “white death” activates the blood circulation to the brain and spinal cord, and in the event of complete failure of the sugar may occur sclerotic changes.

In addition, scientists have found that it significantly reduces the sugar is a danger of blood vessel plaques, and thus prevents thrombosis. By the way, and arthritis in people who do not deny myself the pleasure to indulge in sweet, are much rarer. In addition, the sugar builds the liver and spleen, and accelerates the process of matching bone fractures. Such is the “bad” sugar …

From all this it becomes obvious that sugar is possible and even necessary, but yet again we see that the world is governed by the principle of the golden mean.