Is Sugar Really Harmful? - all information

When it comes to discussing whether sugar is really harmful, there are really different opinions. The sweetener is often demonized and completely avoided by nutrition experts. But read in the article whether it is actually a sweet poison.

How harmful is sugar really?

There is no question that the Germans consume too much sugar. Everyone is concerned about how much sugar can still be consumed in a healthy way. But should sugar really have the status of a poison and be permanently removed from our menus?

• In general, differentiation is important in such a debate, because sugar is not just sugar. The dreaded sweetener that is at stake is the refined sugar, also called table sugar. One has to differentiate here, because sugar generally includes all carbohydrates, including healthy long-chain ones, such as starch.
• The dreaded sugar is mainly found in finished products, pastries, bread and many other foods that we eat every day. And eating too much of these is clearly too much. Because the biggest problem with sugar consumption is the amount. On average, every German eats around 30 kilograms of sugar every year.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming a maximum of 25 grams per day. This amount refers to the free sugar, not the sugar content in processed foods. But in fact it is also possible to live sugar-free. Our body is not dependent on free sugar.
• Sugar is particularly problematic due to its processing and absorption in the body. If we ingest simple sugar, our body first breaks it down into fructose and glucose. The glucose can raise our blood sugar level very quickly and provides us with energy quickly.
• What sounds great at first is the real problem: the blood sugar level rises rapidly, only remains at a high level for a short time and then quickly sags again. With a high sugar consumption, you will quickly get tired and develop cravings.
• This way we absorb more energy than necessary and overweight can arise. In addition, the body quickly builds up body fat from sugar, which is another risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, arteriosclerosis and other diseases of civilization.

This is how you can reduce sugar in your diet

Our excessive sugar consumption is actually problematic. Because the amount makes the poison and the German population consumes immense amounts of the sweetener. However, you can reduce your sugar consumption with simple methods:

• The first step is to choose the right foods . You should make sure to buy and consume as few finished products as possible, since these usually contain large amounts of sugar. Feel free to take a look at the list of ingredients when shopping. You will be surprised how many products there is in sugar.
• Even if fruit sugar is in fruit, you can continue to eat it. Because it provides valuable vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals at the same time, these are valuable foods that should not be missing on your menu.
• It is important to ensure that there are enough whole grains and plenty of fresh vegetables. Whole grains contain healthy sugar. Complex carbohydrates that fill you up for a long time and only let the blood sugar level rise slowly, but also let it fall off very gently, can prevent cravings.
• It is also worth exchanging some foods . For example, use plain yogurt instead of sweetened yogurt. You can drink juices as diluted spritzers and the sugar in tea and coffee is easy to get used to. And you should mainly drink water, because sweetened lemonades are real sugar bombs.
• You can also replace the refined sugar with agave syrup, maple syrup or honey. These actually contain glucose and fructose, but the body is better able to cope with sugar breakdown thanks to the amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins it contains. In addition, you have a higher sweetness.
• Baking without sugar is also possible and worthwhile. We explain in detail how this can be done in a separate practical tip.

Sugar: How to find out the sugar content of food

In the following article we will show you which tricks the food industry is putting more and more hidden sugars into food.