A "Confession" from Sugar

Author: Chen Xiaochun, deputy chief nurse, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Reviewer: Wu Wei, Chief Physician, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Hello everyone, I am "Sugar", the most popular of the five flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty. Sweetness symbolizes happiness and beauty. I can be found in all the colorful and diverse sweets in life. Some people have a special liking for me, but some people avoid me. How to know me correctly? Please accept this "confession" from me. I hope you can enjoy this "sweetness" in a healthy way in life!

1. The role of sugar

1. Provide Energy

Carbohydrates are the most economical and main source of energy for humans. After being digested in the body, carbohydrates are mainly absorbed in the form of glucose. Glucose can be used by all tissues. For example, protein cannot be directly oxidized in muscles to produce energy, and the oxidation capacity of fat in muscles is very low. The most effective energy for muscle activity is glycogen, while the heart and nervous system can only use glucose as energy.

2. Constituents of body tissues

Glycolipids are components of cell membranes and nervous tissues; glycoproteins are parts of many important functional substances, such as enzymes, antibodies, and hormones; ribose and deoxyribose are one of the main components of genetic materials RNA and DNA.

3. Liver protection and detoxification effects

When carbohydrate intake is sufficient, it can increase the body's glycogen reserves and enhance the body's ability to resist foreign toxic substances.

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2. Harm of Sugar

1. Affects sugar metabolism Eating too much sugar can easily lead to obesity, which is one of the main causes of diabetes. For patients with diabetes, eating sugar is more harmful, causing blood sugar to rise rapidly, aggravating the condition, and even inducing critical illnesses such as ketoacidosis.

2. Affecting lipid metabolism: If there is excess sugar in the body, it can be converted into lipids and then into triglycerides, affecting the metabolic balance of fat and even causing hyperlipidemia, thereby increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and even inducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

3. The various metabolisms in the human body that induce gout are closely related, and sugar metabolism is also related to uric acid metabolism. If there is too much sugar in the body, it can easily lead to the formation of endogenous uric acid in the body, thereby causing an increase in blood uric acid and inducing gout attacks.

4. Affecting hormone levels Although sugar can promote the release of dopamine in the brain and make people feel happy, it can also affect the level of sex hormones in the body. If the level of sex hormones is disordered, especially androgens, it can lead to vigorous secretion of sebaceous glands, thereby increasing the secretion of sebum and even causing acne. Estrogen and progesterone disorders may cause gynecological diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, and may even induce abnormal calcium metabolism and cause osteoporosis.

5. Accelerate skin aging Sugar will combine with collagen in the skin, thus causing collagen and elastin to saccharify and lose elasticity, which can cause wrinkles or loose skin, thus accelerating the aging symptoms of the body. It may even induce pigmentation spots. For example, people who like to eat sugar may have a darker skin color and spots.

6. Causes tooth decay Sugar can provide a good place for oral bacteria to grow and reproduce. If you do not rinse your mouth or brush your teeth in time after eating sugar, some of it will remain in your mouth. Once oral bacteria use these residual sugars and then multiply, they will cause damage to the teeth, such as damage to tooth enamel or the appearance of plaque, which can easily lead to tooth decay.

In addition to the above-mentioned hazards, long-term consumption of excessive sugar will increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, myopia, malnutrition, etc. to varying degrees.

3. Types of Sugar

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4. How to choose carbohydrate foods correctly?

The main sources of sugar in life are cereals, potatoes, beans, vegetables and fruits, etc. For refined sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, crystal sugar, sugar cubes, maltose, fructose syrup, etc., the Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that each person should not exceed 50g per day, preferably less than 25g.

5. Are sugar-free foods really sugar-free?

It is worth noting that there are many foods on the market that say "sugar-free food". When choosing, you must be careful. Although some foods are marked "sugar-free", their ingredient list is marked with white sugar or glucose. In fact, sucrose and white sugar are the same thing, just called differently. Some use edible sugar or saccharin instead of sucrose, but in essence they are just a change of name. Even if some food additives do not contain sugar, the food itself may contain sugar. Sugar-free foods (such as sugar-free cakes) are made of grains, which can break down glucose in the human body, so sugar-free foods are not sugar-free!

6. Understand the “invisible sugar” in food

Snacks are extremely attractive, but do you know how much sugar is contained in these common snacks? Next, we will use the most intuitive way to find these hidden sugar babies!

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Is my confession direct enough? Once again, I remind you to fully understand our functions and characteristics, choose the right time, dosage and type, and don’t let us become your sweet burden!