Do we need Sugar?

Do we need to consume sugar on a daily basis? The simple answer to this question is no. The long answer involves some questions like: what type of sugar are you referring to? and do you have any type of diabetes? and do you play sports? and so on...

Simply put, your body needs energy on a daily basis. It gets this energy from food, mainly in the form of glucose, which is obtained from the breakdown of Carbohydrates. Glucose is the body's prime energy source, it is essential to the body. This is why about 50% of our calorific intake is from carbohydrates.

Bread, potatoes, apples, rice, peas, popcorn, bananas... these all contain starches or a form of sugar that can all be broken down in the body to glucose.

In that sense, the body needs glucose to live, glucose is a sugar, so the body needs sugar. But, this does not in any way translate to "you must eat sugary foods to survive". You don't need to eat sugar at all. You need to eat carbohydrates, protein and fat. Your body does not require sweets, fizzy drinks, table-sugar, chocolate...

That being said, this isn't to say you should never allow yourself sugar. Of course you can treat yourself, everything in moderation is key.

In addition, if you play sports you may need a more simple source of carbohydrate as your during-exercise fuel. This may be in the form of a sports drink as it is a quick source of energy for you to burn during exercise. The reason simple sugars are often more desirable is due to the fact that they are more easily digestible. And in this case, sugar may be necessary for your performance as an athlete.

The WHO recommends we keep our free sugar intake to below 10% of our calorific intake, and they state that below 5% would provide further benefits. Each gram of sugar is 4kcal, so if you consume 2000kcal, 10% translates to 50g, and 5% translates to 25g of sugar. Free sugars refer to sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates as well as monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) added to foods and drinks either by manufacturers or the consumer.

The point of me writing this is is to debunk the common misconception that you need sugar on a daily basis while referring to the sugar added to your tea, or in your chocolate bar.

While you are allowed to have your treat every so often, your body does not require it. Spoons of sugar don't "give you energy" when you're in a slump. A healthy balanced lifestyle is what you need. If you are feeling tired all the time, then something isn't right - either with your diet or perhaps, physiologically.

As I said before, the question Do you need sugar? has a simple answer and a complex answer. For example, if you're a Type 1 Diabetic, needing sugar becomes a completely different discussion. Sugar is often needed to keep a type 1 diabetic alive when their blood glucose levels plummet. In these moments of hypoglycemia sugar is all you need!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about sugar. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out :)

- Kayla

#sugar #sweets #candy #health