Is processed sugar good for you? reasons why sugar is good for you.
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Foods containing natural sugars offer nutrients that keep your body healthy, provide fast yet stable energy, and keep your metabolism stable. Fruits, for instance, offer essential nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C and folate. Added sugars, on the other hand, are harmful in large quantities.
Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed. The fiber in fruit slows down metabolism, as fruit in the gut expands to make you feel full.
Refined sugars may increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. They’re also linked to a higher likelihood of depression, dementia, liver disease, and certain types of cancer.
Stevia is 100% natural, contains zero calories, and has no known adverse health effects. It has been shown to lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
According to AHA guidelines, most men should consume no more than 150 discretionary calories of sugar per day. This is equivalent to 38 g or 9 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar. Women should use no more than 100 discretionary calories on sugar per day. This is around 25 g or 6 tsp of sugar.
Including whole fruits in a no-sugar diet can still be healthful. However, if a person chooses to eat dried fruit, they should do so in moderation and look for varieties without added sugar.
Also, honey is less processed than sugar as it is usually only pasteurized before use. Raw honey is also edible and contains more antioxidants and enzymes than pasteurized varieties.
Fruit is healthy for most people. While excessive sugar intake can be harmful, this doesn’t apply to whole fruits. Rather, they are “real” food, high in nutrients and satisfyingly filling. If you can tolerate fruit and you’re not on a low-carb or ketogenic diet, by all means, eat fruit.
- Brain fog and decreased energy. When you regularly consume too much sugar, your body is constantly oscillating between peaks and crashes. …
- Cravings and weight gain. …
- Type 2 diabetes. …
- Difficulty sleeping. …
- Heart disease and heart attacks. …
- Mood disorders. …
- Skin issues. …
- Tooth decay.
Consuming too much added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease.
“The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke,” says Dr. Hu.
Though widely available throughout the world, in 1991 stevia was banned in the U.S. due to early studies that suggested the sweetener may cause cancer. … Stevia powder can also be used for cooking and baking (in markedly decreased amounts compared to table sugar due to its high sweetness potency).
Sugars which have undergone less processing, such as cane sugar, turbinado sugar and coconut sugar, tend to have a higher content of minerals and antioxidant compounds, albeit very limited.
Several natural sweeteners are often used in place of sugar. Some of these include coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, and molasses. These natural sugar alternatives may contain a few more nutrients than regular sugar, but your body still metabolizes them the same way.
The naturally occurring sugars in your foods, like your yogurt’s dairy sugar (lactose), or the sugar in an apple (fructose), aren’t counted, since they’re not added sugars.