The less the body receives added sugar, the better, because we really do not need it. It so happened evolutionarily that our ancestors lived perfectly without added white sugar, they lacked natural, obtained from wild berries. No need to worry that the body does not get the right amount of glucose.
My patients often tell me: “Doctor, I need glucose for my brain.” Of course, we need it, but in any case, we all get our norm again from the foods we eat, which are not necessarily sweet. And the level of glucose in our blood rises not only after eating sugary foods, but also after eating any food. Therefore, the less sugar in the diet, the better, because sugar leads to a violation of all types of exchanges. First of all, it leads to fat gain and obesity,
Sugar is found not only in sweets, but also in a huge number of products. Sugar can be in sausage, in ketchup, in soy sauce. Therefore, you must carefully read the labels and understand that hidden salt and sugar are found in almost any product.
We already wrote what sugar is and why our body cannot cope without it. All carbohydrates are made up of sugars. Therefore, even if you are not a fan of sweets, this does not mean that sugar does not enter your body. Moreover, manufacturers of refined and processed products each time come up with more and more tempting names for sugar.
For example, on almost all dietary foods, instead of sugar and sucrose, you will most likely see the words “corn syrup”, “agave”, “molasses”, “candanate”, “turbinado”, “sorghum syrup”, “fruit juice”, “maltose”. And that’s not all. It is important that any sugar has the same effect on human health.
A sharp change of mood
If the best way for you to cheer you up is to spend the evening with a bucket of ice cream to your favorite series, it’s worth considering. After all, in fact, the mood does not rise entirely due to the sweet.
Serotonin is the hormone responsible for a good mood. It is produced using the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan synthesis stimulates insulin, and it is produced when glucose appears in the body. Faster than other carbohydrates, glucose breaks down to glucose, also known as table sugar. This means that as soon as you eat a chocolate bar, a sharp jump in insulin occurs instantly in your body, and for a few minutes a good mood just rolls over. And everything would be fine, but then the same sharp decline occurs and apathy sets in.
Drowsiness
Sleep disorders are also often associated with the absorption of glucose, or rather, with the work of orexin. It is a neuropeptide that is responsible for sleep and wake cycles. Due to the sharp jumps in sugar in the body, the nerve signal does not reach orexin neurons, so a feeling of drowsiness appears.
But there is a feedback here: some studies show that the more you sleep, the less you want sugar. The body ceases to need artificial sources of vitality.
Skin problems
Sugar is one of the products that negatively affects the condition of the skin. This is due to the fact that high blood sugar gives a signal to hormones to produce more sebum. As a result, pores become clogged and acne appears.
In addition, the amount of sugar in the blood affects the circulation of collagen. In small doses, glucose promotes the movement of this protein. But when sugar gets too much, collagen becomes less mobile. Because of this, the skin loses elasticity and wrinkles appear.
Frequent snacks
A sure signal that your diet has too much sugar is a constant desire to have a bite to eat. Carbohydrates give the body energy, while fats and proteins are responsible for a feeling of fullness. Foods that are high in sugar are often low-fat and almost protein-free, so a feeling of fullness quickly disappears.
Craving for sugar
During the use of sugar, dopamine is produced in the brain – this is a neurotransmitter, due to which there is a feeling of pleasure. The brain uses the dopamine centers when a person receives a subjective positive experience. For example, sex, drugs, and gambling also cause the release of dopamine. Scientific evidence confirms this: studies by Serge Ahmed from the University of Bordeaux have shown that sugar addiction can be as strong as drug addiction.
The almost uncontrolled desire to consume sugar is our evolutionary flaw. Man in its present form has existed for about 12,000 years. All this time, in order to get food, you had to try very hard. Only the last 100 years, we can just buy food in the store, and not run for our dinner a dozen kilometers. From the point of view of evolution, this is a very short time. Our nervous system simply did not have time to adapt: the body is still striving to store as many calories as possible, which are now so easy to obtain.
The fewer refined foods and sugar in the diet, the better. But if sugar is less than the body needs (from 3.3 to 5.5 mmol / L), then this will also negatively affect health. Nevertheless, everyone needs to know the measure and carefully read the labels on the products. And if you still find one of the signs of an excess of sugar in the diet, pay attention to more complex carbohydrates and fats.
