Although sugar is harmful to health, when is the best time to consume sugary foods
Do you want a sweet treat but are worried about how it will affect your health? Learn from experts when to indulge in sugar.
Isn't sugar the best thing ever? A delicious-looking doughnut can lift our spirits on a bad day, a tub of caramel popcorn enhances any viewing experience, and a Nutella jar provides the ideal comfort for a broken heart.
Sugar, despite its sweetness, is not healthy. Everyone, from doctors to social media influencers, seems to warn us about its negative effects.
So, what are we going to do about all of these cravings? Is there ever a time when we can savor sugary treats without worrying about the effects they might have on us? We should determine from the specialists.
"Sugar is broken down into glucose, which is absorbed by the blood, when it is consumed. According to Ritika Samaddar, head of nutrition and dietetics for the south zone at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi (Saket), "Glucose raises the level of blood sugar and also leads to the release of insulin so that the glucose can be absorbed by the muscles to provide energy.
She claims that excessive sugar consumption can result in fatty liver, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and weight gain.
In addition, according to Delhi-based consultant dietician and diabetes educator Kanikka Malhotra, any excess glucose that is not utilized immediately is stored as glycogen, a readily available energy reserve, in the liver and muscles. She adds that simple sugars, like sucrose (table sugar) and fructose (found in fruits), enter the bloodstream quickly and easily in the small intestine.
On the other hand, enzymes in the mouth and small intestine convert complex carbohydrates like grains' starches into simpler sugars.
The glucose is released into the bloodstream at a slower rate and takes longer as a result of this process. In addition, Salini Somasundar, consultant dietician at Manipal Hospital in Pune, discusses the effects of sugar on the body, stating: The natural pleasure chemicals dopamine and opioids are released by sugar into the brain. Non-alcoholic liver disease is the accumulation of fat globules brought on by eating too much sugar.
In your mouth, bacteria like Streptococcus mutans consume leftover sugar and ferment it into lactic acid. The minerals in your tooth enamel are dissolved by this. The amino acids in collagen and elastin are transformed into substances that cause wrinkles by glucose and fructose forming bonds between them.
Is sugar good or bad? Veena V, a dietitian at Aster Whitefield Hospital in Bengaluru, says that natural sugars like fructose, which comes from fruits and vegetables, should always be your choice. Fructose contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals when consumed in whole foods, which can mitigate some of the negative effects of sugar.
