Explainer: Sugar Isn't Bad for You
Putting sugar in a more nuanced light.
This article is a Truthition Explainer article. For a more detailed scientific review on sugar, read our article, The Sweet Truth About Sugar.
What is Sugar?
In this article, “sugar” refers to a generic term for short-chain, sweet carbohydrates. This includes monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, as well as disaccharides like sucrose (composed of glucose and fructose) and lactose (composed of galactose and glucose).
Introduction
Sugar is a commonly blamed nutrient for the ever-prevalent health issues that plague the world today. Often, we are told to limit our sugar intake, with many people deliberately consuming less total carbohydrates because of potential health benefits.
Sugar is often blamed on the misconception that its intake is directly linked to obesity and, by extension, chronic diseases. Because of this simplistic view, many federally and internationally-recognized organizations outright claim that sugar is negative for health with little to no nuance. This means health enthusiasts who have done their research on these sites are inclined to a hardcore stance of eradicating sugar from their diet, regurgitating the same view to everyone they know. It isn’t exactly their fault, but most of the time, their views are often based on oversimplified assumptions.
We’re here to correct this, viewing sugar in a more nuanced, objective light.
Debunking The Myths
While early research by scientists suggested that sugar is the root cause of many health problems, recent studies indicate a more complex relationship.
One of the first scientists who believed that sugar was the primary cause of detrimental health effects was John Yudkin, a 20th century English physiologist. Ever since his time, more research has taken this stance and claimed that sugar is an underlying cause of obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and a host of other problems.
If this research was true, one would generally expect there to be a staggering rise in the consumption of sugar alongside the rates of obesity that plague one of the unhealthiest countries to date, the United States. However, a reverse trend is found:
This means there must be some fundamental flaw in this logic.
Fructose is commonly blamed for its excess consumption, especially via high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the United States. There are a few pathways by which papers have shown a negative health impact. Some trials have also shown that excess fructose can cause metabolic problems. However, there are a couple issues with these studies:
1. Trials that show these problems have participants consuming more fructose than even the top 20% of HFCS consumers do, daily.
2. It is possible that the pathways by which fructose can cause problems can be offset entirely by consuming mostly natural sources of fructose, notably fruits with salicylates. These fruits include blueberries, grapes, apples, raisins, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Glucose, another common monosaccharide, is also the primary fuel that nearly every organism on Earth burns for fuel.
Low-carb “Keto” diets, while they can provide some health benefits in the short-term, are highly unsustainable in the long-term, and can be dangerous.
If someone uses Keto or Paleo (both low-carb diets) to lose weight, it is common for one to revert to their original diet, regaining the weight they lost before. Losing weight is the body’s reaction to nearly any major dietary change.
Sugar’s Benefits on the Body
Various sugars have been shown to have benefits in humans, both theoretical and rigorously studied.
Excess cortisol—the “stress” hormone—is known to have negative effects on the human body, dysregulating hormone function.
Sucrose (50% glucose, 50% fructose) has been theoretically shown to normalize feeding, energy balance, and stress hormone levels.
In human trials, general high-carbohydrate and high-sugar foods tend to regulate cortisol response to stress. Given that reducing cortisol levels can reduce insulin resistance, this means that intake of these carbohydrates and sugars may actually reduce chances of developing type II diabetes.
The brain requires, on average, about 200g (or 800 calories) of glucose per day. Trials have shown when healthy adults drink a high-glucose drink before cognitive trials, they obtain a large performance boost.
Honey is a substance known for its practical use in teas, traditional medicines, and other food.
Honey has been shown to exhibit an anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-estrogenic and antioxidant properties. It also provides a moderate insulin response compared to other sugars.
Fructose, despite its theoretical downsides, has been shown in numerous trials to have therapeutic effects on diabetics and healthy individuals. Moderate amounts of fructose (50-70g daily) have been shown to promote weight loss and have a beneficial effect on insulin resistance.
Conclusion
Finding a balance is key, as studies suggest that sugar in your diet is not universally unhealthy. In fact, even for people with chronic conditions, there are benefits to some sugars in controlling symptoms.
Sugar is best when consumed in its natural forms from fruits and other sources, but even in other forms like cane sugar, it is not unhealthy in controlled amounts.
In summary, sugar is not universally harmful. When consumed in natural forms and controlled amounts, it supports cognitive function, regulates stress hormones, and can even aid in weight management.
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