Sugar forms one of the six taste sensations we need; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and bitter, however, most people tend to eat too much in the form of simple processed table sugar (sucrose), fruit sugar (fructose), corn syrup, malt, even refined honey, etc.
Sugar is also present in many processed foods such as breakfast cereals, bread, salad dressings, carbonated drinks, alcohol, tomato and pasta sauces, and instant microwave meals, as well as refined carbohydrates such as rice, pasta and white flour.
Sugar lacks vitamins and minerals and has no fibre content, and therefore has an adverse effect on most systems in the body, such as the endocrine system.
Some of sugar’s detrimental effects include:
- it can cause inflammation
- it can aggravate heart problems and result in cardiovascular disease
- it may feed certain cancers (in the form of glucose)
- it causes hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder and concentration problems
- it may cause eyesight to weaken
- it may cause weight gain, obesity and contribute to the ageing process
- it interferes with the body’s ability to absorb necessary minerals and is a contributing factor in the growth of yeast infections
- it can cause tooth decay, headaches, depression and high blood pressure
- it contributes to liver, kidney and pancreatic damage and resultant disease
- due to its high glycaemic index, it affects blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, and contributes to metabolic imbalances, hypoglycaemia / hyperglycaemia and diabetes
- it can suppress the immune system which can result in food allergies and weakened defence against free radicals and infections
Cravings for sugar are as a result of certain chemical imbalances in the brain, but eliminating sugar completely is not always the easy answer. Two natural and healthy alternatives to sugar are xylitol and stevia. They taste sweet, are low in calories and are safe to use. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, should be avoided as they have been linked to health problems and disorders.