“Sweet Death”: the dangers of sugar

Sugar was first produced about a hundred years ago. Since then, he has firmly entered our lives. Without it, it is impossible to prepare a single confectionery product. We consume sugar every day. But many people believe that sugar is harmful to humans. Is this true?

Why is sugar harmful?

Normally, a person needs to consume about 50 grams of sugar daily. This is about two large spoons. But in reality, each person exceeds this norm several times. We are all got used to it drink sweet tea or coffee along with cookies or a sweet bar. During snacks, food is often washed down with sweet soda. There is a lot of sugar in berries and fruits. This is how you accumulate about 100 or even 200 grams of sugar per day.

Consuming sugar in large quantities can lead to:

• diabetes mellitus;
• decreased mental abilities;
• increasing the level  cholesterol, which causes atherosclerosis, circulatory disorders and, as a consequence, the development of angina pectoris, stroke or heart attack;
• sugar addiction.

Can children have sugar?

Modern young mothers, of course, know that they should absolutely not give their babies sugar. Many pediatric specialists say the same thing. But caring grandmothers just can’t resist feeding the baby something tasty.

The problem is that the child recognizes the taste of sweets too quickly and gets used to it. He soon begins to literally demand sweets. To avoid this, talk to older relatives and remind them often that children should not be given sugary foods in large quantities. Instead of a cake or candy, children from one and a half years old can be given dried fruits, hematogen, and replace sugar with fructose.

Do not give your baby sugary drinks - they often cause tooth decay. If your child does not want to drink plain water, then make him a compote of dried fruits without adding sugar. This drink will quench your thirst and serve as an excellent remedy for preventing constipation.

How much sugar can you eat

We have already found out that consuming too much sugar is harmful. But there is still a safe norm that will not cause harm to health. It should be noted that sugar is now added to many industrial products, and some natural products, such as fruits, contain sugar initially. If we take all this into account, it turns out that a person does not need to consume sugar for a normal life.

If you are still not sure that you should give up sugar, then keep in mind that experts recommend not exceeding the amount you eat and limit yourself to 30-50 grams per day. In order not to harm your body, it is enough to refuse table food and limit yourself to consuming sugar contained in natural products. This will significantly reduce the load on the body.

How to give up sugar

First, you should reconsider your attitude towards sweet foods. Take it for granted that eating sweets is not a necessity, but just a habit. It is gained by eating sweets every day. Just make the decision to give it up and follow it. After that, start doing it immediately. This does not mean that you should immediately stop eating sweets. Just halve your daily intake.

Replace sweet foods with fruits containing natural sugar - fructose. It is healthy and easily absorbed by the body. When buying products in the store, do not be lazy to read labels and choose products with the lowest sugar content.

Don’t suddenly give up your favorite foods, as this will cause you stress and sooner or later you will break down. It’s better to gradually replace your favorite sweets with alternatives. Eat fresh fruits and dried fruits, and instead of sugar, sweeten your tea with a spoonful of natural honey.

We often use sweets as a means of dealing with stress. Change your attitude towards problems and learn to find pleasure in things other than sweets. Take walks in the fresh air more often do meditation, yoga or breathing practices. Take your free time with some enjoyable hobby.

How can you replace sugar?

If you decide to give up sugar, then you need to replace it with something. In addition to the dried fruits and honey mentioned above, there are several other products that can compete with the “sweet poison”.

Sugar can be replaced with xylitol and sorbitol. These substances are obtained from cotton seeds, rowan or corn. Although xylitol has a sweet taste, it contains very few calories. Both xylitol and sorbitol have a laxative effect and are choleretic agents.

Stevia is considered an absolutely safe sugar substitute. This is a completely natural product that does not increase blood pressure, kills fungus and microbes in the body, removes slags and salts of heavy metals, and also restores strength after physical activity. Stevia is good for diabetics because it activates the production of their own insulin.

There are other sugar substitutes, such as saccharin, cycloman, aspartane and acesulfate. All these substances are much sweeter than sugar, but it is not recommended to consume them, as they are very harmful. They provoke benign and malignant tumors, are carcinogens, and aggravate cholelithiasis.

The benefits of sugar

It would be wrong to say that sugar is exclusively harmful to our body. Please note that a person cannot live without sugar. It is essential for activating blood circulation in the brain and spinal cord. A complete refusal of sweet foods can cause sclerotic changes.

Sugar prevents the formation of blood clots and, in normal doses, reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. People suffering from spleen and liver diseases are often advised to eat a diet high in sugar. This diet helps improve the functioning of these organs.

If possible, buy brown cane sugar instead of the usual refined beet sugar. Many experts believe that it brings great benefits to the body.