The saying "sugar is bad for your health" has been widely circulated in recent years. Public opinion that eating sugar causes diseases and even shortens one's lifespan is on the rise. So, where does the argument that "sugar is bad for your health" come from? It mainly stems from some medical professionals who believe that excessive sugar intake can be converted into fat in the body, leading to obesity and even acting as a contributing factor to certain diseases. In fact, the human body requires many nutrients, and an excessive intake of any single food or essential nutrient can lead to nutritional imbalance and adverse consequences. Sugar is no exception. Long-term, excessive sugar intake, beyond the body's needs and the liver's processing capacity, can pose certain health risks. Sugar is not good in large amounts, especially for middle-aged and elderly people.
However, nutritionists also believe that starting from the body's physiological needs, a moderate supplement of dietary sugar is beneficial to health. The key is to scientifically master the "moderation" of "appropriate amount." Nutritionists believe that a scientific amount is about 60 grams of refined sugar per person per day, which is about 22 kilograms per year. For people in high-altitude areas and athletes who consume a lot of energy, their sugar intake can be moderately increased, but not too much. As for the elderly, their sugar intake should be appropriately reduced.
The question of whether excessive sugar intake is harmful to health has also been debated in developed countries with high sugar consumption. For this reason, after a three-year investigation and research, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pointed out: except for causing dental caries, no harm to the human body from sucrose was found. It clearly affirmed four points: 1. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer are not caused by sucrose; 2. Sucrose is not related to gallstones and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children; 3. Sucrose does not particularly cause weight gain; in the survey, some obese people did not eat more sugar than those with normal weight; 4. Sucrose does not hinder the absorption of essential nutrients from the outside by the human body. Therefore, viewing sugar as a deadly dietary ingredient is a misunderstanding, and saying it is the source of diseases also lacks a basis.
Facts also prove that reducing sugar intake can instead cause multiple harms. First, the proportion of fat in the energy intake will correspondingly increase, raising the probability of hyperlipidemia and heart disease. In the diet of adults, the fat part should account for 20% to 25% of the total energy intake. According to a 1999 survey, young people aged 20 to 30 have exceeded this normal range. Second, it can lead to malnutrition of the brain. To maintain the normal operation of the brain, a large intake of nutrients must be guaranteed, and the main component of these nutrients is glucose, which is widely found in the sugar consumed daily. If our diet intentionally avoids sugar, the brain loses the source of glucose that supports its operation.
In daily life, it is common to see some people stay away from sweets and even limit their staple food intake because they are worried about gaining weight. Especially young people, the proportion of staple food in their three meals a day is getting lower and lower, thus falling into the misunderstanding of insufficient glucose intake. For people who are keen on losing weight, they should fully recognize the importance of sugar for the normal functioning of the brain and must not lose sight of one thing while neglecting another.
Research shows that eating sugar is not the cause of obesity; only people who eat a lot of sugar and also a lot of fat become obese. Diabetes is not caused by eating sugar, but by damage to the pancreatic islet function. Normal people eating sugar will not get high blood pressure or diabetes; only those who already have diabetes should control their sugar intake. There is no direct relationship between eating sugar and hyperlipidemia; only excessive intake of sucrose or fructose may cause blood lipids to rise. Currently, the average daily sugar intake per person in China is 15 grams, with an annual per capita sugar consumption of less than 6 kilograms; while in developed countries, the per capita sugar consumption can reach 40 to 50 kilograms, and it has been proven to be harmless to people. Compared with them, the gap in our country is still very far. For the vast majority of people, the problem is not eating too much sugar, but too little. When the human body's intake of carbohydrates is insufficient, it has to rely on the breakdown of proteins and fats to supply energy. However, harmful substances such as ammonia are produced in the process of protein catabolism; ketones are produced in the process of fat catabolism, which are both unfavorable to the body. Therefore, people cannot lack sugar in their daily diet. Therefore, the current advice is not to dissuade people from eating sugar, but to advocate eating sugar in moderation. As for patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, obesity, etc., they should avoid sweets and not eat sugar. For healthy people to avoid obesity, the energy provided by sugar per day should not exceed about 10% of the total calories.
According to the 2001 statistics of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the current world per capita annual sugar consumption is 25.6 kilograms, while in developed countries it reaches 40 to 50 kilograms. Currently, China's per capita daily sugar intake is only 15 grams, with an annual per capita consumption of less than 6 kilograms. Therefore, from a macro perspective, there is no problem of diseases caused by excessive sugar consumption in our country. To lose weight and control middle-aged and elderly diseases, not eating sugar will be counterproductive, especially for mental activities and preventing brain aging, eating sugar is beneficial and harmless. The conclusion is: don't avoid sugar, but eat it in moderation. Since ancient times, people have regarded sugar as a symbol of a sweet and happy life. On festive occasions, people give each other candies, which also shows the important role of sugar in people's lives.