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The sweetness in our life!
SUGAR!
The sweetness in our life.
And I’m not talking about our family, partners or loved ones. This time it’s sugar. Yes. Plain sugar. Well it sounds plain and simple, but what do you really know about it? What is sugar? Sugar is a carbohydrate, which provides us with energy and it tastes good too! Sugar comes from… Carbohydrates are “petrol” for our bodies. They keep us going and provide us with energy. When sugar is digested in our bodies it is used by all our body cells and our brain, and by our muscles when we exercise vigorously. But not all carbohydrates are alike. It is important to understand that although sugar is a carbohydrate, nutritionally that’s all it is; energy. It is not packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as vegetables and fruit. This is called a low nutrient density. For the same amount of energy as other foods that have a high nutrient density, it doesn’t have as many nutrients. However, it does have an important place in our diet because of the inherent desire for sweetness that humans have. Sugar not only makes our food taste good, but it acts as a natural preservative and is important in the food industry to add colour to baked products, for decoration, it contributes to the development of volume and texture in foods and the list goes on! Now that we know that sugar is energy, then why are there so many different types of sugars and which ones are good or bad for us? The main sugar in our food supply is granulated sugar, which comes from sugar cane or sugar beets. At the sugar mill, the stalks of the sugar cane plant is crushed, and their juice extracted and processed until it forms a sugar crystal. A similar process occurs with beets, until the desired sugar is obtained. But that crystal can go through several processes and that’s what gives us the wide range of sugars to choose from. What you get without any processing is raw sugar. It contains molasses (a syrup that is a by-product of refining sugar) and can contain other impurities with it and is approximately 97% pure sugar. It has been shown to be higher in certain minerals, but the amounts are so minute that they do not significantly contribute to your daily intake. Brown sugar is refined sugar that has been flavoured and coloured with that molasses syrup. Brown sugar is suitable for baking when a strong flavour is desired such as sticky date pudding! Granulated sugar is the raw sugar that has been refined even further to remove the molasses and other impurities and it is approximately 99.9% pure. So in terms of what sugar to choose in your cuppa, it’s a matter of taste and texture! One gram of sugar gives you 4kcal or 16kilojoules no matter what type of sugar it is. So is it good for me you ask? Well, foods higher in carbohydrates (including sugar) tend to be lower in fats. And it is well known that there is an association between people who usually consume a higher carbohydrate diet with a lower chance of getting some chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. The interesting fact here though, is that these high-carbohydrate foods are packed with high-fibre foods, which satisfy people easier than a high-fat foods. In addition, the carbohydrate comes from fruit, vegetables and whole-grains, and not processed take-away foods and lollies. Dental caries, or tooth decay has also been associated with a high carbohydrate diet or a high sugar intake. Not only is the amount of carbohydrate eaten important, but also how frequent you consume it and how good your oral hygiene is. To date, there is no evidence that that sugar alone causes obesity, diabetes or coronary heart disease. It has been previously said that it may cause dental caries, but that also depends on how good your oral hygiene is. So what should you do? Make sure you rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after eating something containing sugar or carbohydrate! Sugar has a place in our diet, just in moderation. If you eat a bag of lollies (which has a low nutrient density) instead of a healthy stir-fry (high-nutrient density), you are just giving your body the same amount of energy in terms of kilojoules or calories, but the lollies lack all the fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein and essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. Instead, have the stir-fry and the lollies to satisfy the sweet craving. But have one or two lollies after a meal and take care of your oral hygiene!
And I’m not talking about our family, partners or loved ones. This time it’s sugar. Yes. Plain sugar. Well it sounds plain and simple, but what do you really know about it? What is sugar? Sugar is a carbohydrate, which provides us with energy and it tastes good too! Sugar comes from… Carbohydrates are “petrol” for our bodies. They keep us going and provide us with energy. When sugar is digested in our bodies it is used by all our body cells and our brain, and by our muscles when we exercise vigorously. But not all carbohydrates are alike. It is important to understand that although sugar is a carbohydrate, nutritionally that’s all it is; energy. It is not packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as vegetables and fruit. This is called a low nutrient density. For the same amount of energy as other foods that have a high nutrient density, it doesn’t have as many nutrients. However, it does have an important place in our diet because of the inherent desire for sweetness that humans have. Sugar not only makes our food taste good, but it acts as a natural preservative and is important in the food industry to add colour to baked products, for decoration, it contributes to the development of volume and texture in foods and the list goes on! Now that we know that sugar is energy, then why are there so many different types of sugars and which ones are good or bad for us? The main sugar in our food supply is granulated sugar, which comes from sugar cane or sugar beets. At the sugar mill, the stalks of the sugar cane plant is crushed, and their juice extracted and processed until it forms a sugar crystal. A similar process occurs with beets, until the desired sugar is obtained. But that crystal can go through several processes and that’s what gives us the wide range of sugars to choose from. What you get without any processing is raw sugar. It contains molasses (a syrup that is a by-product of refining sugar) and can contain other impurities with it and is approximately 97% pure sugar. It has been shown to be higher in certain minerals, but the amounts are so minute that they do not significantly contribute to your daily intake. Brown sugar is refined sugar that has been flavoured and coloured with that molasses syrup. Brown sugar is suitable for baking when a strong flavour is desired such as sticky date pudding! Granulated sugar is the raw sugar that has been refined even further to remove the molasses and other impurities and it is approximately 99.9% pure. So in terms of what sugar to choose in your cuppa, it’s a matter of taste and texture! One gram of sugar gives you 4kcal or 16kilojoules no matter what type of sugar it is. So is it good for me you ask? Well, foods higher in carbohydrates (including sugar) tend to be lower in fats. And it is well known that there is an association between people who usually consume a higher carbohydrate diet with a lower chance of getting some chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. The interesting fact here though, is that these high-carbohydrate foods are packed with high-fibre foods, which satisfy people easier than a high-fat foods. In addition, the carbohydrate comes from fruit, vegetables and whole-grains, and not processed take-away foods and lollies. Dental caries, or tooth decay has also been associated with a high carbohydrate diet or a high sugar intake. Not only is the amount of carbohydrate eaten important, but also how frequent you consume it and how good your oral hygiene is. To date, there is no evidence that that sugar alone causes obesity, diabetes or coronary heart disease. It has been previously said that it may cause dental caries, but that also depends on how good your oral hygiene is. So what should you do? Make sure you rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after eating something containing sugar or carbohydrate! Sugar has a place in our diet, just in moderation. If you eat a bag of lollies (which has a low nutrient density) instead of a healthy stir-fry (high-nutrient density), you are just giving your body the same amount of energy in terms of kilojoules or calories, but the lollies lack all the fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein and essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. Instead, have the stir-fry and the lollies to satisfy the sweet craving. But have one or two lollies after a meal and take care of your oral hygiene!
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The sweetness in our life!
SUGAR!