Sugar!!! So sweet and yummy. Some say it's like crack. Others believe it is the downfall of human beings as we know it. It end to believe the Kardashians are responsible for that but I digress.
With today's post, I am going to talk about sugar and give you some insight into popular myths behind one of the most glorious substances on Charles Darwin's green earth.
Sugar Myths
- Sugar is addictive
Sorry to say, it's not. Popular media outlets grabbed the results of a study that showed the same part of the brain would light up for participants whom were given sugar, as people who had taken recreational drugs. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that sugar is addictive, it simply means that sugar is nice and we like to consume it. Furthermore, a review published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed insufficient proof of addiction (1)
- Sugar feeds cancer
Again, this information is incorrect. All cells in our body enjoy glucose (sugar) as their main source of energy. However, if we starve ourselves of glucose, the body will attempt to breakdown proteins and fats to fuel itself anyway (2).
- Sugar makes kids hyperactive
Anecdotally, we have all seen kids go crazy when at a party and consuming vast amounts of sugary foods and beverages. Therefore, the logical conclusion would be to associate causation between sugar and hyperactivity! Unfortunately, in this instance, correlation does not mean causation. Studies have shown sugar intake have no link between behaviours or sleep patterns (3).
- Sugar is making you fat
There always needs to be a fall guy! First, we blamed fat for making us fat. Now, we blame sugar for obesity rates tripling since 1975 (4). Instead of blaming one macronutrient for our muffin tops or belly tyres, we should probably look at our lifestyles as a whole. The image above shows 1 serve of honey in a very small condiment dish. That small serve of honey has 84 calories. If you compare that to 150 grams of blueberries (1 serve of fruit), which has 85 calories, you can see why the world's population is growing outwards more-so than upwards!
So what is the take home message here? Firstly, don't be afraid of sugar, it helps you function! Second, do a deep dive into some research if you're unsure of a claim, or talk to someone with some knowledge. Finally, excess calories are making people fat, not sugar!
If you are looking for a really good podcast for some more information on this topic, click on the following link. You will get some great information and a bit more detail than what I have described above.
Ok, love you, bye!
Chris, aka - Premium Pilates Dad
