Sugar: 7 facts you didn't know about the sweet stuffStop the sweet talk! Sugar is insidious, sugar is poison, yet we consume it daily, whether out of boredom, comfort, emotionality or habit. Now we lay 7 facts on the table that we guarantee you didn't know about the sweet sin.
Who does not know it? Just one more grip and the pack of foam rubber is empty. Sugar is a temptation that sneakily throws itself at us like the serpent in paradise and is hard to resist. The sweet poison is everywhere and hiding, even in the oh so healthy tomato passata. But there is a way out of the sugar trap: the more you know about the enemy, the better you can control it! Here are our seven facts about sugar. (Too much sugar? You should take these warning signs seriously)
Fact #1: Sugar is everywhere – even in pickles
Sugar is an integral part of our diet; a simple food that doesn't spoil. According to Statista, Germany put per capita consumption in 2018 at around 34.8 kilograms – the equivalent of a daily sugar dose of around 95 grams. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily sugar intake of about 25 grams. (Read more about health here)
If we banned all sugary foods from supermarket shelves, only about 20 percent would remain. A look at the nutrient table often shows frightening things. So even in a Piccoli bottle of sparkling wine you'll find 22 grams, in tomato sauce about 25 grams, and even in pickles about 12 grams of sugar per glass. To make matters worse, there are about 55 sugar substitutes Gives, such as dextrose, caramel syrup and lactose, which you also need to watch out for. (
Fact #2: Sugar makes you happy – and addicted
The processing of sugar begins in the mouth. As soon as one of the ten thousand taste buds senses even a single sugar crystal, the body begins to eat it, Dopamine This happiness hormone is sometimes responsible for insatiable attacks of ravenous hunger.
In addition, increased sugar consumption triggers an immediate, physical stress response, because Adrenalin and Cortisol Flows through our bloodstream – in a sense, a "high" state that is addictive. And one more thing: Sugar impairs our Immune system, by hindering the function of white blood cells. (Also interesting: Home office: These tips help against constant snacking and unhealthy eating)
Fact #3: Insulin can attack the liver
In the gastrointestinal tract, sugar is divided into glucose and fructose. Glucose in the blood is called blood sugar and this causes the pancreas to release the hormone Insulin to produce. Insulin acts like a cab and brings glucose to the cells of the organs and muscles, where it should be burned. So far, so good.
But the more sugar consumed, the more insulin cabs around, the more glucose is blocked by overworked organs, and the more excess energy is stored in fat cells. Only when the insulin level drops, fat deposits are used as an energy source. Ideally, that signals satiety hormone leptin at the end of a meal, when we have eaten enough, but insulin can block this message. The result: we overeat. (Also interesting: Snacking without gaining weight? Here's how!)
We can't do without the metabolic hormone insulin, but if we have too much of it, it overloads the liver, which then no longer reacts to the hormone at all – so called Insulin resistance. It's a vicious circle: the pancreas releases even more hormones, which causes even more fat to be stored. Liver and other organs become fatty. If then also the pancreas has its burn-out and can no longer produce insulin, then diabetes type 2 develops.
Many healthy eating tips with little sugar can also be found on Instagram:
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Fact #4: Fructose is automatically good sugar? No way
Ordinary household sugar consists of equal parts glucose (grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar). Fructose is twice as sweet as glucose, but is the same at four kilocalories per gram. Glucose Is the basic building block of most carbohydrates and can be metabolized relatively well in the body; it causes blood sugar levels to rise, thus stimulating insulin to rebalance levels. (Read more about healthy eating here)
Not so Fructose. It sounds like fruit and therefore healthy, but unfortunately this is not an acquittal. Fructose is ignored by the insulin cabs and makes its own and almost immediate way to the liver, the only organ that absorbs fructose. Unless you're a high-performance athlete, excess fructose turns to fat in your liver. The human organism is not able to cope with fructose in large quantities, which often leads to abdominal pain and flatulence. However: Don't be afraid of fresh fruit. The fructose from this. The fiber they contain reduces the conversion of sugar to body fat; only when juicing can these fibers be lost. (Read more: That's where bloated belly comes from – and how to get rid of it)
Fact #5: Hidden sugar in juices
At first glance completely absurd, but this is the bittersweet truth: apple juice is just as sweet as cola. The only difference is the type of sugar. Cola consists of industrial sugar, apple juice of fructose. Now an apple a day is healthy, but contains A liter of apple juice About 1.4 kilograms of apples – A person could hardly eat that much in one sitting. In general, fruit juices should be the exception rather than the rule. Not be the rule in the diet. Although they promise a quick supply of vitamins, they are real calorie bombs. As with apple juice, vast amounts of fruit are needed to make a small amount of juice. So fingers away. Better to drink water! (Also worth reading: Better when thirsty: You should rely on these drinks in the summer)
Fact #6: Brown sugar is not healthier than white sugar
It is rather wishful thinking that brown sugar is healthier per se. The color alone has nothing to do with the quality, it is just the precursor of white sugar. Its brown color is due to the fact that the fine crystals have not yet been freed from natural syrup residues or have even been colored with such syrup afterwards.
Unrefined sugar is considered to contain more minerals, but that is only by one percent. What is actually rated slightly healthier is brown whole cane sugar, because it contains the most minerals. (Also read: How much truth is there in these 8 nutrition myths??)
Fact #7: Diet and light products do not help you lose weight
In so some diet plans on Light products but just because it says "light" doesn't mean there's no sugar in it. Sweetener is often used instead, which, just like sugar, also stimulates insulin production. An almost equal misconception is that dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate. The tart taste does not come from less sugar, but rather from bitter cocoa, which is much more noticeable. Dark chocolate does have one advantage, however: it makes the craving for sweets go away faster.