It seems like there is a new food related health scare in the news each day and this can make it difficult to know what we should and shouldn’t be eating. In fact, sugar is one the biggest problems that healthy eaters face, especially when it comes to processed food, because the majority of people tend to eat much more than the daily recommended amount of 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Read on as The Healthy Living and Fitness team go over the scary truth about sugar nobody wants to hear…
The Science of Sugar
There is no doubt that the human body needs sugar in order to function. After all, it makes up our DNA, powers our cells and even helps us store energy for use at a later date. In addition to this, plants will even make their own sugar through a process known as photosynthesis which shows that every living organism requires this molecule for survival.
How Many Different Types of Sugar Are There?
When people think of sugar, they tend to picture the type that goes into a hot drink and are surprised to discover that there are a lot of different types found in the foods we eat. For example, table sugar is known as sucrose and this comes from sugar cane, fructose is the sugar found in fruit and honey, galactose is the sugar found in milk and dairy, glucose is the sugar found in fruit and vegetables, lactose is the sugar found in milk and is made from glucose and galactose, maltose is the sugar found in barley and sucrose is made from glucose and fructose and can be found in plants.
How Sugar Affects Our Health
It is important to remember that there is a distinct difference between natural sugars, such as the fructose found in fruit, and added sugars, such as the sugar found in breakfast cereal, ready meals and even protein bars. This is because these are used by food manufactures in order to make our food taste better and last longer so that we are more likely to buy it again. Unfortunately, too much added sugar in the diet can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, raise blood pressure and even overload the liver in the same way that too much alcohol does. In addition to this, sugar is said to be as addictive as some class A drugs.
Here at The Healthy Living and Fitness, we believe that it is important to deal with our food related worries at face value. After all, it is impossible to cut out every single thing that the media claims to be dangerous or harmful. In fact, some forms of a sugar are actually good for the body and it is the processed sugar found in cereals and ready-meals that we should be avoiding which is why it is always better too cook a meal using fresh ingredients. To find out more information, get in contact with a member of the team today!