An inconspicuous habit when cooking will increase blood sugar and make you gain weight. Change it now!

Do you like to add a handful of sugar when cooking? Braised pork, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, sweet and sour pork, Kung Pao chicken... these home-cooked dishes are all frequent visitors of sugar. However, this seemingly insignificant habit may bring big problems to your health.

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The role of sugar in cooking

When cooking, do you think that the value of sugar is just to provide sweetness? That's too much of an underestimation. In fact, sugar is a major seasoning in cooking and has many unexpected uses.

1. Seasoning

Adding sugar to cooking can make the dishes sweet, crispy and not burnt, and can also blend various flavors. The core functions are: reducing saltiness, alleviating sourness, spiciness and bitterness, and also enhancing freshness.

Sugar can neutralize saltiness. If you accidentally add too much salt when cooking or preparing fillings, adding a little sugar can reduce the saltiness.

When making sour dishes or soups, adding a small amount of white sugar can alleviate the sourness and make the taste harmonious; even if too much chili is added, adding some white sugar can effectively alleviate the spicy taste; adding some white sugar when stir-frying bitter gourd can also cover up some of the bitterness.

In addition, adding a little sugar before adding salt when cooking can enhance the flavor.

2. Coloring

Some meats look bright red, sweet and delicious, which makes people very appetizing. This is also due to sugar.

When sugar and amino acids or proteins are heated at high temperatures, they will undergo a "Maillard reaction", producing brown-black caramel and odorous substances such as reducing ketones and aldehydes, which provide food with delicious flavor and attractive color.

3. Promote fermentation

Adding some sugar to the dough can not only shorten the fermentation time, but also make the pasta soft and delicious. Adding sugar to the dough can be decomposed into glucose under the action of various enzymes, which can provide nutrients to yeast and promote the growth of yeast, which will accelerate the fermentation of the dough and shorten the fermentation time.

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Dishes with a lot of added sugar

Many hazards

Different types of dishes use different amounts of added sugar for different purposes.

"Cooking Technology" mentions that in order to achieve the best taste effect, the amount of sugar added to sweet dishes, such as honey-glazed yam, is generally about 20%; for sweet and sour dishes, the amount of sugar added is 5% to 10%; and the amount of sugar added to braised dishes, braised pickles, etc. is mainly for enhancing the freshness and flavor, and is generally controlled at 1% to 2%.

Although adding sugar to dishes can enhance the flavor and taste of the dishes, long-term excessive intake of sugar may cause many harms to the human body. The following are some of the main harms:

1. Weight gain and obesity

Add sugar when cooking, a proper mixture of sugar and oil.

In a study on sugar-oil mixtures published in Cell Metabolism in January this year, it was found that compared with foods containing pure sugar or pure oil, sugar-oil mixtures cause the brain to secrete more dopamine, unknowingly increasing the intake of such foods and increasing the risk of obesity.

2. Blood sugar fluctuations and diabetes risk

Although there is no direct correlation between eating sugar and diabetes, eating sugar increases the risk of obesity, and obesity and the incidence of type 2 diabetes are positively correlated.

For people who already have diabetes, sugar intake needs to be more strictly controlled. Added sugar in food can cause large fluctuations in blood sugar and worsen the condition. Especially the unnoticed sugar in dishes is even more dangerous.

3. Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis risk

Sugar reduces saltiness. When sugar is added to dishes, more salt is needed to maintain normal saltiness. Over time, salt intake will increase significantly. Eating too much salt increases the risk of high blood pressure and stroke, and may also damage the cells lining the blood vessels and cause other cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, excessive salt intake will increase calcium loss, thereby increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

4. Increased Risk of Heart Disease

A 2014 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed a link between a high-sugar diet and an increased risk of death from heart disease.

Over the course of the 15-year study, people who got 17 to 21 percent of their energy from added sugars had a 38 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who got 8 percent of their energy from added sugars.

In summary, the harm of adding sugar to dishes cannot be ignored. In order to maintain good health, we should pay attention to controlling the intake of sugar and avoid long-term excessive intake of sugar. So how much sugar should be controlled every day?

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Recommended sugar intake for different groups of people

The recommended sugar intake for different groups of people does vary, depending mainly on factors such as the individual's age, gender, weight, health status, and daily activity level.

1. Adults: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the daily sugar intake of adults should not exceed 10% of the total calories, and it is best to control it within 5%. Based on 2000kcal per day, the Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that adults should not consume more than 50g of sugar per day, and it is best to control it within 25g. Using a common white porcelain spoon at home, 1 spoon is about 10.3g, 25g is about 2.5 spoons, and 50g is about 5 spoons. For overweight or obese adults and those with diabetes or other chronic diseases, sugar intake should be further reduced.

Image source: Photographed by the author

2. Children: Children’s daily calorie needs are smaller than those of adults. Since the maximum daily sugar intake is the same as that of adults, children’s daily sugar intake should be lower. In addition, as they age, their energy gradually increases, and the amount of sugar control for children will also change year by year.

It should be noted that in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022 Edition)", it is not recommended for babies under 2 years old to consume added sugar in their diet. In addition, there is no reference data for 2 to 4 years old because there is no energy ratio. If a value must be set, it is recommended not to exceed 5% of energy, which is 12.5g.

It is recommended to encourage babies to eat more fruits in their diet, which can satisfy their preference for sweets and supplement necessary vitamins and minerals.

3. Elderly people: As the metabolism of the elderly is relatively slow and they may suffer from a variety of chronic diseases, it is recommended that the daily sugar intake should be controlled within 25 grams. In addition, the elderly should pay attention to choosing low-sugar, high-fiber foods to maintain a healthy weight and blood sugar level.

4. Pregnant and lactating women: Although pregnant and lactating women have relatively high energy needs, due to the unstable hormone levels at this stage, it is recommended that the daily sugar intake should be controlled within 25 grams. However, if you have gestational diabetes or high blood sugar, try not to eat sugar or sweets.

For expectant mothers in the early stages of pregnancy, if they have severe morning sickness and are unable to eat, it is not a bad idea to increase their sugar intake appropriately, if there are no contraindications, to avoid ketoacidosis.

How to reduce sugar intake?

Added sugar is everywhere and hard to prevent. To reduce sugar intake, you can start from the following aspects:

1. Reduce sugar in cooking: When cooking, try to use less or no sugar. You can use lemon juice, vinegar and other seasonings to replace part of the sugar for seasoning.

2. Choose low GI foods: GI refers to the speed and ability of food to cause the body's blood sugar to rise. Choosing low GI foods can help control blood sugar levels. Brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread, etc. are all good choices for low GI foods.

3. Increase dietary fiber intake: Dietary fiber helps slow down the rate of blood sugar rise. Eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc. In addition, foods rich in dietary fiber can increase satiety and reduce the intake of sugary foods.

4. Control your intake of sweets: Avoid desserts, candies, sweet drinks and other foods that are high in sugar. If you really want to eat them, you can choose foods containing natural sugars as a substitute, such as fresh fruits.

5. Pay attention to hidden sugar: In addition to obvious sweets, some processed foods also contain a lot of hidden sugar. Hidden sugar in food may come from condiments such as vinegar, ketchup, barbecue sauce, kimchi, braised pork, steamed buns, etc., or from snacks such as beef jerky and pork jerky that seem to be sugar-free. When buying food, you should pay attention to the ingredient list and nutrition label, and choose low-sugar or sugar-free products; when cooking, try not to add sugar, and actively avoid hidden salt.

Summarize

Most dishes do not necessarily require sugar. Regular intake of excessive sugar increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health hazards. In daily life, do not actively add sugar when cooking. When buying packaged foods, check the ingredient list and nutritional composition table. It is best to control the daily intake to less than 25g.

References

[1] Zhou Xiaoyan. Cooking Technology[M]. China Textile Press, 2008.

[2] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2022

[3] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Reference Intakes of Nutrients in China (2023 Edition)[M], People's Medical Publishing House, 2023

[4]Harvard Health Publishing. The sweet danger of sugar. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar.

[5]McDougle M, de Araujo A, Singh A, Yang M, Braga I, Paille V, Mendez-Hernandez R, Vergara M, Woodie LN, Gour A, Sharma A, Urs N, Warren B, de Lartigue G. Separate gut-brain circuits for fat and sugar reinforcement combine to promote overeating. Cell Metab. 2024 Feb 6;36(2):393-407.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.014. Epub 2024 Jan 18. PMID: 38242133.

Author: Li Chun, National Registered Nutritionist

Reviewer: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Department, Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center