Adored by some, demonized by others, sugar leaves no one indifferent. If the key word is moderation, it remains to choose your carbohydrates. Because all carbohydrates are not equal !
We consume less sugar
False. From small luxury, sugar has tipped into the category of public enemy number 1 of our diet. However, researchers from the University of Cambridge (UK) published a study on July 28 which shows that between 2007 and 2019 added sugars in packaged foods increased by 9%, and the volume of sweeteners in drinks jumped by 36%. In fact, 70% of the sugars we consume are added and hidden sugars. A bowl of crisps can contain up to five sugar cubes.
Our daily consumption is increasing
7 sugar cubes, or 35 grams : this is the amount of sugar contained in a can of Coca-Cola. According to the WHO, our daily consumption of sugars should be limited to 25 grams..
Fruit sugar is less harmful than others
TRUE. Fruit sugars (glucose, fructose) certainly have the same molecular structure as that of added sugar, but they coexist with vitamins, antioxidants and fibre, whether in fresh fruit or in juice (especially with pulp). They are therefore useful, knowing that an orange juice contains the sugars of two oranges on average and that, if you drink one, you will only need one or two fresh fruits for the rest of the day. On the other hand, fructose is also used massively in processed products. It is the combination of fructose-very little fiber that is at the origin of chronic metabolic diseases.
You can become addicted to sugar, like a drug
TRUE. Several researchers have conducted experiments on rats given prolonged access to heroin and cocaine. Faced with a choice between cocaine and sugar water, the animals preferred sugar water 9 times out of 10. The researcher concedes, however, that this is a moderate addiction. Certainly, sugar causes the increase of dopamine and activates the circuit of the reward, like any drug; Admittedly, “sugar addicts” are unable to regulate their consumption while they perceive the damage of their behavior, but the symptoms linked to withdrawal have nothing to do with those for opiates.
Sugar promotes the onset of chronic diseases
TRUE. There is plenty of evidence linking it to dental caries, weight gain, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. But beware, it is the overconsumption of sugars that has deleterious effects. This is why the WHO recommends not to consume, per day, more than 35 grams of free sugars (sugars added or naturally present in honey and juices), and even ideally 25 grams, or six teaspoons. And sweeteners should also be consumed in moderation. The Nutrinet study, which includes 100,000 people, found that people who consumed the most, especially aspartame and acesulfame K, had a higher risk of developing cancer, especially of the breast.
We can do without sugar
False. Our body needs 250 to 300 grams of carbohydrates per day. During digestion, they are transformed into glucose, the main source of energy for all our cells and particularly those of the brain and our muscles. This molecule is also involved in the feeling of satiety. But our body finds its daily ration of carbohydrates in the starch of bread, starches, cereals, fruits and milk. Therefore, foods with added sugars (candies, cakes, sodas, etc.) are not essential. For the National Health Nutrition Program, "consumed from time to time and in reasonable quantities - jam on toast at breakfast, a few biscuits for snacks - sweet products are compatible with a good nutritional balance".
Slow-release sugars are healthier than quick sugars
TRUE. Carbohydrates are digested more or less quickly, and it is better to favor those that raise blood sugar slowly. Repeated spikes promote hypertension, diabetes and weight gain. But the speed of glucose absorption depends on several factors : the starting molecule in the food, but also the method of cooking, the way of consuming it.. This set of parameters is taken into account in the glycemic index (GI), an index which makes it possible to classify carbohydrates according to their ability to raise blood sugar. The lower it is, the more we preserve our pancreas by releasing little insulin, even if the calorie intake is the same. For example, al dente pasta has a GI of 55, while it rises to 70 when overcooked.
Sweeteners encourage people to eat sweets
True and false. The subject sparks debate : some studies believe that these synthetic products do not provide the same pleasure as glucose, and therefore lead to the consumption of sugar, while others conclude that the brain does not make a difference between sweeteners and glucose. Recent research has also shown that the more sweeteners one consumes, the greater the risk of cancers – especially of the breast and those linked to obesity – increases. However, with a high sweetening power and almost zero caloric load, aspartame and other intense sweeteners are sometimes useful. They are of interest for diabetics or for weight loss by helping to follow the diet by maintaining a minimum of sweet taste.
Unrefined sugar is healthier
False. Called muscovado or rapadura, unrefined cane sugar has not undergone a chemical process to remove molasses. As a result, it retains a brown color and its nutrients – magnesium and calcium. But the amount of nutrients is so low that you would have to consume too many unrefined sugars for it to be of any interest. As for the brown sugar, don't be fooled. Its beautiful color is not natural since this sugar from sugar cane is artificially colored with a dye like caramel. As for syrups such as agave, they must also be consumed in moderation because they are sources of empty calories, without significant nutritional contribution.
The term "no added sugar" is ambiguous
TRUE. European regulations state that this claim prohibits the addition of sugars and “any other foodstuff used for its sweetening properties”. However, some manufacturers do not hesitate to add sweeteners. However, the product can be naturally sweet: in this case, it remains so, even without added sugars. As for pure fruit juices, which stipulate "no added sugar", this is pure juice marketing because this practice is prohibited. The claim "sugar-free" means that the food does not contain more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams or 100 milliliters.
Better to eat the sweet before the meal
False. It has long been said that it was better to eat fruit at the start of or even outside of meals, in particular to facilitate digestion. According to some nutritionists : eating foods in a specific order – vegetables, proteins, fats, starches and sugars last – would have the effect of “reducing the glucose peak of the meal by 75%”. But other specialists are not convinced by this. For them, everything is mixed in the stomach, like in a washing machine, so it makes no difference. It is not desirable to make our meals more complex, when our pancreas knows very well how to manage glucose peaks.
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