Sugar is an absolutely safe product if you use it correctly and moderately. If you remember the school curriculum, the molecule of sucrose consists of two monosaccharides glucose and fructose. Once in the body, the final sugar is broken down in the human body to these simple carbohydrates. And glucose, and fructose are included in a number of natural food products that people consume for many centuries. It is honey, fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals. Glucose is the main physiological source of energy for the body: brain, muscles, lungs and other vital organs. Glucose gives relaxation and tranquillity, as they are able to increase the level of happy hormone serotonin. Therefore, after a piece of chocolate, sodas or sweet fruit we feel a surge of energy and improved mood.
The taste of sugar friendly and pleasant man from infancy. Renowned molecular biologist John Medina[1], who is the author of several popular scientific works on physiology of the brain, writes that the sweet tooth is formed by a person still in utero. About 7 months pregnant, the child is fixed by changing the swallowing behavior by eating sweet mom products[2]. And when the child is already there taste buds with the relevant parts of the brain, a sweet taste is perceived as pleasant.
At the stage of breastfeeding the sweet taste of breast milk that contains milk sugar - lactose, establishes the relationship of the human body to the sweet taste, as desirable, pleasant, giving comfort and reduce anxiety.
The sweet taste prompts to saturate the body with carbohydrates to maintain the necessary level of energy and strength. On average, the human body consists of proteins (19,6%), fat (14.7 per cent), carbohydrates (1%), minerals (4,9%) and water (58.8 per cent). He constantly spends the stocks to replenish spent energy, which is necessary for the normal functioning of internal organs, maintaining physical and mental activity[3].
More than 50% of this energy we get from food from carbohydrates. The need for carbohydrates in adults is 4-6g per 1kg of body weight and with heavy physical labor or active sports activities – 8 grams per 1kg. Of which 80-90% (300-400g per day) should come from complex starchy carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits and cereals) and consumption of fast carbs, mostly sugar contained in juices, sweet soda, grapes, sweets, bananas, dried fruits, chocolate, honey) should not exceed 10-20% of the calories daily diet (about 50-100g a day). Fast carbs easy to digest and quickly replenish energy costs, especially during active physical activity. Since this energy is necessary for normal functioning of the body, regular consumption of a reasonable quantity of sugar is not contraindicated in healthy people. Risk is only its excessive amount. The proportion of easily digestible carbohydrates (glucose, sucrose, lactose, etc.) in healthy people should be no more than 25% of the total number of carbohydrates in the diet. Excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates triggers a rise in blood sugar and, consequently, negatively affects the pancreas. A healthy person who has no problems with carbohydrate metabolism or overweight – moderate consumption of sugar-containing food or drinks will not harm.
Thus, there is no need to exclude sugar from your diet, and therefore, it is safe to treat yourself to a chocolate or drink fizzy drinks such as Cola, thereby obtaining energy and good mood during the day.
Remember that it is important to keep the intake of sugar, and most importantly – to live a healthy lifestyle and always take care of своtм diet, making it the most balanced and complete.
[1] D. Medina Rules brain. What you should know about the brain you and your children
[2] http://www.brainrules.net/
[3] Mrs. W. P. Fundamentals of physiology of nutrition, Microbiology, hygiene and sanitation. P. 7
The material was prepared with the information support of the TCCC.