Experiment: 21 days without sugar to change your life. Why.

Maria Bolshakova, a leading nutritionist at Beauty SPA by World Class, tells us :

Everyone is well aware of refined sugar, which has firmly entered our lives. We add it to tea, coffee, porridge, love candies, jams and jams, fruit juices, sweet carbonated drinks, etc., and at the same time we get up to 250-500 g of sugar per day without even noticing it (while the norm is only 30-40 g per day, including that contained in fruits and all food of the daily diet).

Refined sugar contains sucrose (99% glucose molecules + fructose), it is a simple carbohydrate, meaning it is quickly and easily digested by the body.

Let’s talk about carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic substances made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They are the main source of energy for the human body, for muscle activity, heart and brain function.
Carbohydrates are simple and complex.

• Simple ones include: monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose).
• Complex carbohydrates – polysaccharides – are divided into starchy (starch, glycogen) and indigestible – dietary fiber (fiber, pectin).

Refined sugar contains sucrose (99% glucose molecules + fructose), it is a simple carbohydrate, that is, it is quickly and easily digested by the body.

Simple carbohydrates provide our body with only short-term energy, while complex carbohydrates can provide slow-release power. Dietary fiber is a nutritious substrate for the beneficial intestinal microflora and is essential for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is interesting: an adult with a weight of 70 kg has a reserve of carbohydrates in the body in the form of glycogen (in the liver, skeletal muscles and heart) – about 500 g, there is also free glucose – about 5 g. Thanks to these reserves, the human body can work intensively for 40-60 minutes, and at a slow pace – for several hours.

What is so dangerous excess sugar in the food diet?

Adding sugar to food increases the total caloric content, while the nutritional value of the dish does not change, that is, the content of protein, fatty acids, vitamins and trace elements remains the same. Excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates (more than 25% of daily calories) leads to relative insufficiency of B vitamins, lipoic acid. With such a diet increases the body’s need for a number of trace elements (iron, magnesium, etc.).

Sugar and diabetes mellitus

Sweet foods cause a sharp spike in blood glucose levels, which in turn leads to the release of insulin (by the cells of the pancreas). It subsequently contributes to a strong drop in sugar levels and new hunger signals occur. With such a diet, the feeling of satiety does not come, and the person is forced to eat sweets again, there is a vicious circle. Pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production are depleted, and there are conditions for the development of diabetes mellitus in predisposed to it.

Sugar and excess body weight

Daily consumption of 50-70 g of sugar (the caloric value will be 200-280 kcal) will ensure its transformation in the body into 40-45 g of reserve fat. Thus, you can gain an additional 14 kg of fat tissue in a year!

Eating sweets leads to an increase in the amount of triglycerides (fats) in the blood. This primarily affects people with low physical activity. Elevated triglyceride levels are a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and obesity.

Sugar and atherosclerosis

High blood glucose and the subsequent increase in triglycerides is one of the key factors in atherosclerosis. This destroys the inner lining of the arteries.

Sugar and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Again, by increasing and decreasing blood glucose levels, hypoglycemia develops. This leads to serious consequences: blood pressure drops, heart rate increases, there is a strong feeling of hunger, anxiety, aggression, deterioration of well-being. The person again consumes sugar, and the picture repeats. In such conditions, neither after rest, nor even after quality sleep, the body can not recover. The increasing feeling of fatigue eventually becomes chronic.

Sugar and the immune system

As a result of excessive consumption of sweet products, there is a decrease in immunity. The ability of white blood cells to destroy viruses and bacteria is reduced. In addition, sugar is a breeding ground for microorganisms.

Sugar and tooth decay

It’s no secret that frequent consumption of sugar and sugar-containing products contributes to tooth decay.

But when can sugar be beneficial?

Since carbohydrates are the main source of energy for muscular activity, simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index can be used in the form of natural product drinks or sports shakes during prolonged and intense physical activity.

Sugar substitutes

Until recently, fructose was considered a good sugar substitute – it is slowly absorbed and does not require insulin for absorption. But a number of studies have shown that consuming large amounts of fructose (more than 90 g/day) contributes to the conversion of this monosaccharide into fat.

To date, the optimal sugar substitute recognized stevioside – an extract of honey grass, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Modern industry produces it in convenient forms – in the form of powder and syrup, so you can easily use it to prepare desserts and any dishes.

Both excessive and insufficient intake of carbohydrates leads to metabolic disorders. So do not give up carbohydrates in your diet, it is worth limiting the consumption of sugar in its pure form and products in which it is included.