Too Much Sugar: How Harmful It Really Is

Sugar. One food, many different opinions. The subject of sugar is more discussed and controversial than any other. One often reads about the many harmful effects of sugar on the body. Sugar makes us fat, is addictive and promotes various diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

These are just a few of the headlines that immediately catch your eye when you take a closer look at the topic of sugar. But how harmful is sugar really to us? How much sugar does our body need? Does sugar really make us sick? We have dealt with these, and other questions about sugar in detail, and we would now like to share our results with you.

What is sugar?

From a purely chemical point of view, sugar is called sucrose. To be precise, table sugar consists of disaccharides (double sugars), which consist of the monosaccharides (simple sugars), glucose (glucose) and fructose (fructose).

Table sugar is mainly obtained from the two green plants: sugar cane and sugar beet during photosynthesis, as these two are the only plants that can store sugar in large quantities.

How many calories does sugar have?

Sugar consists of 100% carbohydrates and is therefore a carbohydrate supplier in its purest form. 100 grams of sugar, therefore, also contain 100g of carbohydrates. With 387 calories per 100 grams, sugar is a food with a high-calorie density. The physiological calorific value of sugar is thus 4 kcal (16.8 Kj) per gram.

Does our body need sugar?

Even though sugar is often referred to as the white poison of the 21st century, our bodies need carbohydrates. Because carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for our body. The simple sugar dextrose, also called glucose, is our most important energy source because our brain alone burns about 130-140 grams of glucose a day.

However, our body can also produce sugar itself by breaking down the polysaccharides (starch) contained in bread or pasta, for example. To clearly answer the question of whether our body really needs sugar: Yes, our body needs sugar, as it is an important energy source for the human organism.

How is sugar processed by the body?

Since there are different types of sugar, namely simple sugar, double sugar, and multiple sugars, these are also broken down differently by our body.

Grape sugar (glucose) or table sugar (sucrose), half of which consists of glucose and fructose, can be quickly processed and absorbed by the body. In their direct form, these simple sugars quickly enter our bloodstream via the intestines and ensure that our blood sugar levels rise rapidly. This quickly supplies our body and brain with the necessary energy.

In a similar form, but slightly slower, fructose and glucose in fruits and vegetables are processed by our body , and the contained sugar also quickly enters our bloodstream.

The blood sugar level rises most slowly when we consume multiple sugars, such as starch, which is contained in cereals, potatoes, bread, and legumes. The body must first convert the starch into glucose. Only after conversion can the glucose be passed on to the individual cells via the blood.

Does sugar make you sick?

When we feed our bodies sugar or sugary foods, blood sugar levels rise. These fluctuations in blood sugar can be compensated by the body. However, this is only the case if these fluctuations occur to a normal extent. Excessive consumption of industrial sugar can put a strain on our bodies, as the pancreas has to rapidly release large amounts of insulin to normalize blood sugar levels.

In the long run, the pancreas can therefore also become overwhelmed, and insufficient insulin can no longer be produced. This means that the sugar level no longer drops to its normal level, and our cells can become insulin resistant.

In the worst case, this condition can lead to type 2 diabetes. Therefore, here too, as in many other cases, the quantity is decisive. Because also when it comes to sugar: the amount makes the poison. Therefore, sugar does not automatically make us sick; in the end, the amount is decisive.

What symptoms can high sugar consumption have?

Consuming too much sugar can have various symptoms. These include the following:

In the event of complaints or symptoms of high sugar consumption, you should consult a doctor and take a closer look at your sugar consumption.

Is white or brown sugar healthier?

Even if at first glance you might think that brown sugar looks like the whole grain variant of white sugar, this is not the case. Brown sugar only contains a little more minerals and vitamins than its white counterpart. Brown sugar is full sugar from the beet and full cane sugar from the sugar cane.

The brownish color of brown sugar comes from the fact that molasses, a substance produced during sugar processing, is not removed. Since brown sugar therefore hardly differs from white sugar, neither of them is healthier.

What natural sugar alternatives are there?

Here's an overview of different sugar alternatives:

Is honey better than sugar?

Honey is a natural sugar alternative. Honey consists of 80% sugar, namely glucose and fructose, and 20% water. Since honey is slightly sweeter than conventional table sugar due to the higher fructose content, you also need less honey than sugar for the same sweetening power.

Although honey contains very similar substances to sugar, from a nutritional point of view, it acts differently in our body than table sugar. Even though honey is a natural product, just like table sugar, it can harm our teeth, intestines, and pancreas when consumed in excess. Therefore, one should also handle this more sparingly.

Agave syrup compared to sugar

Agave syrup is obtained from the agave, drained from it and then boiled into a syrup. Since agave syrup is composed of a mixture of fructose and glucose, it has one of the lowest glycemic indices among natural sweeteners.

(For your information, the glycemic index (GI) indicates the effect of a carbohydrate-containing food on blood sugar levels). The GI of agave syrup is about 20%, whereas that of table sugar is 70%.

As a result, the blood sugar level rises and falls much more slowly when consuming agave syrup, so that cravings can be prevented. In addition, agave syrup has around 100 calories less per 100g than regular white sugar. The nutrient balance of agave syrup, on the other hand, is similar to that of sugar.

Therefore, it is a slightly healthier alternative to conventional table sugar, but should still only be enjoyed in moderation.

Dates and date syrup compared to sugar

Although the fructose content in dates is the same as in table sugar, dates contain various minerals such as folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A and D.

In addition, dates are also suitable for diabetics, and with an energy density of only 282 calories per 100 g (compared to 387/100g in sugar), dates are slightly lower in calories than sugar. Blood sugar levels do not rise as quickly when we eat dates, but they still provide us with energy quickly.

Our new TCM porridges , for example, are sweetened with dates.

Maple syrup vs sugar

Like honey, maple syrup is a natural sugar alternative. Maple syrup is thickened juice from sugar maple. Maple syrup contains various minerals such as potassium, iron, and magnesium compared to conventional table sugar.

Incidentally, the quality of the maple syrup can be recognized by its color: the lighter the syrup, the higher the quality. Maple syrup has a sugar content of about 65 percent. It is also rich in various minerals and has a lower calorie content than honey or sugar.

Therefore, maple syrup is a slightly healthier alternative.  Compared to table sugar, you can save 35 percent in calories.

How much sugar per day is healthy? Your daily sugar requirement

An adult should consume a maximum of 50 g of sugar with a calorie intake of about 2000 calories. According to the latest publications of the World Health Organization (WHO), you should even consume a maximum of 5 percent sugar based on the total amount of calories, i.e. about 25 g of sugar per day.

These percentages refer to the intake of so-called free sugar. Free sugars include the monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and the disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar).

The free sugar can be added to foods and beverages in the form of added sugar or is also naturally present in honey, syrup, fruit juice concentrates, and fruit juices. For the sugar contained in fruits, vegetables, and various dairy products, there is no recommendation from the WHO regarding the maximum intake.

Low-sugar breakfast from Verival

The topic of sugar is also becoming increasingly important for us at Verival. That's why many of our cereals and porridges are already without added sugar. Our new TCM porridges, for example, are only naturally sweetened with dates.

If you pay particular attention to a low-sugar diet, you can easily filter our products without added sugar in our Verival online shop . In the filter, you simply have to select "No added sugar," and you can easily discover your breakfast without added sugar.

Even though sugar is often demonized as a white poison of the 21st century, it is not harmful to consume sugar in small amounts. The human body needs sugar as an energy source in order to function properly.

According to the WHO, in order to prevent various diseases, the proportion of free sugar should be kept as low as possible, and added sugar, in particular table sugar, should be avoided. But as with any other food, the amount makes the poison, and so it's perfectly fine to eat sugar in smaller amounts.