Sugar, Friend or Foe?

Let us address the myth: sugar isn’t evil, it’s our body’s primary energy source. However, over consumption of sugar may lead to certain health issues. Malaysia is one of the top 8 consumers of sugar worldwide, so it’s important that we understand this sweet, glittery substance and its effect on us.

Natural sugar comes in fruit, milk and cheese. Processed sugar, typically refers to table sugar which comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are both processed to extract the sugar.

Although both types of sugars are broken down for energy, natural sugar is packaged with fibre and water which slows down the digestion of glucose. This means you won’t experience the energy high/insulin spike and subsequent sugar crash that you get when consuming processed sugar.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sugar that is added to our food and instantly absorbed by the digestive system is classified as ‘free sugars'.

Honey, along with maple syrup, agave nectar and rice malt syrup, are in the ‘free sugars’ club. Free sugars are also found in fruit juices, as they tend not to contain the fibre found in whole fruit and vegetables. A concern with free sugars is that it makes it easy to consume excess calories; you may drink a can of soft drink but you would not eat four apples because the fibre in the apples makes you feel full.

But there’s a caveat, “How much sugar is already in your blood will determine how the body uses the sugar,” says Julie Baker, Clinical Oncology Dietitian of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). “If you already have a lot of sugar in your system, then what you just digested will form either fat or glycogen, the storage form of glucose that’s used for quick energy. It doesn’t matter if it’s junk food or fruit.”

The risks of overconsumption are the same for all sugars. The main concerns are:

• weight gain
• increased risk of illness
• blood sugar peaks and crashes
• increased risk of tooth decay
  

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends women should consume no more than 100 calories a day (6 tsps) and men should consume no more than 150 calories a day (9 tsps) from added sugars.

Here are some tips on how you can start reducing your sugar intake;

Some of the most unassuming foods have high sugar content. Here are some Malaysian favourites that you should watch out for:

Sugar taken in moderate amounts is good for our body. After all, we need constant fuel to keep up with our daily lifestyle. You don’t need to quit sugar to be healthy. Remember the key to healthy living is moderation