White sugar or granulated sugar is the crystallized sucrose(C6H22O11)
made from sugarcane or sugar beets. Sugarcanes and sugar beets are grown in
India and the Middle Eastern countries but today, most of the countries prefer
to produce sugar from sugar beets because of economic conditions. Nowadays, we
use granulated sugar in the food sector in substances such as pastries, baked
goods, beverages and mostly in junk food. As a result of this large usage of
sugar, we may consume it excessively without being aware.
Sugar has some effects on our body which can be both beneficial and
harmful. First of all, controlled consumption of sugar affects us in a good
way. For instance, the best known type of sugar that we call glucose, tells
your brain to produce insulin, which helps the body to regulate blood sugar and
it also interacts with other hormones, to help you feel satiated. Therewithal,
the sugar which comes from fruit can provide some of the energy we need to get
in a day but on the other hand, extreme usage of sugar harms us more than we
imagine. For instance, excessive sugar consumption is associated with heart
diseases, pancreatic cancer, kidney problems, and insulin resistance.The most
common result of excessive usage of sugar is obesity.Rates of obesity are
rising worldwide, and added sugar is thought to be one of the main culprits.
The main point that we should notice about the
effect of sugar is in our brain. The brain uses more energy than any other
organ in the human body and glucose provides this energy. Does this mean an excessive amount of glucose
provides more energy? The answer is no. When you eat something sweet, your
brain gives a signal about what you eat into the cerebral cortex and if it is
sweet, the signal activates the brain’s reward system.It has a similar effect to
the effect of drugs. As a result of this warm fuzzy feeling, you want to eat
again. This continuous desire may cause people to eat excessively.
Consequently, over activating of the reward system kick-starts a series of unfortunate
events such as loss of control, craving and increased tolerance for sugar.The
reason for this continuous desire is dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone which is
responsible for our happiness and sugar is the substance which causes our brain
to secrete dopamine. So, it explains our continuous desire and why we consume
sugary things when we are sad.
Recent research demonstrates the harms of sugar. For instance, a high
sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency. Chromium, a trace mineral, helps
regulate blood sugar in the body. It can be found in meats, seafood, and plant
food but most of the people who live in developed countries still don't get
enough chromium because of refining starches. Another harmful effect of sugar
is related to stress; Sugar increases stress. When we are under stress, our
bodies immediately kick into fight or flight mode, releasing large amounts of
hormones. Surprisingly, the body has the same chemical response when blood
sugar is low. After you eat something sweet, stress hormones begin to
compensate for the crash by raising your blood sugar. As a result of this
situation, unexplained anxiousness, a depressive mood and, irritability begin.
The last example is about sugar’s effect on the cognition of children. Three
years ago, New York Public Schools reduced the amount of sugar in their meals.
Consequently, their academic ranking increased by 15.7%.It explains the effect
of sugar on our mental health and the ability to think correctly.
What will happen if we stop using white sugar?.Actually,
this experiment has been tried by someone who consumes sugar continuously.At
the end of the experiment, the results were discernible physically and
mentally.The first discernible effect was in his appearance: he lost weight in his waist area. The second
biological effect was having less lubrication in organs;this prevents hepatic
disease.Therewithal,his blood
pressure stays constant.As a result, his probability of having heart disease
dropped to normal levels. Consequently, we can try to change our habits and
diets to live in a healthy way.So, limiting our usage of sugar may lead to this
as a fresh start.
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