Is Sugar Always Bad For You
Naturally Occurring Sugar VS Added Sugar
Eating food that has naturally occurring sugars, such as bananas, apples, beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes, will fulfill your sugar needs while maintaining balanced glucose levels for extended periods. This is because these foods contain the necessary fiber for our bodies to process their sugar contents effectively.
Eating foods with added sugars like cereals, chocolate, candy, jams, jellies, puddings, cakes, and ice cream spikes your sugar very quickly (sugar rush), resulting in an overproduction of insulin, causing a sudden drop in energy (sugar crash).
What Are Added Sugars On A Nutrition Label
Brown sugar
Cane Sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Fruit juice concentrates
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Malt sugar
Molasses
Raw sugar
Sugar
Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)
Syrup
Why Do Our Bodies Need Sugar
Sugar is the brain's primary source of energy. It provides fuel for our muscles, nervous system, and the rest of our bodies. It helps metabolize fats and prevents your body from using protein as energy. Insulin is released after consuming sugar, and it tells your cells to absorb the glucose so they use it for energy.
Unlike protein, glucose is stored in our muscles and liver as an energy reserve (glycogen) for future use when blood glucose falls like during physical activities. These backup reserves are essential to keeping our blood sugar stable.
To keep these energy reserves replenished, we need to consume carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (brown rice and oats). These sugars naturally found in our food are more than enough to sustain our bodies.
Negative Impacts Of Sugar
Since our bodies do not need added sugars to function, added sugars only contribute additional unnecessary calories and zero nutrition to food which can lead to weight gain. Added sugars that are processed quicker are either immediately used for energy or, if not needed, stored as fat faster than naturally occurring sugars.
Earlier, we talked about how added sugar causes those infamous sugar rushes, and then shortly after, sugar crashes. Additional to those low-energy sugar crashes, they are often accompanied by anxiety, hunger, and cravings for additional sugar pick-me-ups. This makes smart choices difficult, like what you should eat and how much of it that can also lead to weight gain.