Sugar is often decried as the evil of the century, yet it is present almost everywhere in ultra-processed foods. However, manufacturers are bowing to the demands of customers who tend to instinctively gravitate towards sweet products. On a daily basis, we swallow an average of forty pieces of sugar, which is six times more than the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends. These habits also have quite serious repercussions on our health...
What is sugar?
Take a close look at the ingredient list of whatever you're buying. Refined sugar (white sugar as we know it) is often added and supplemented in everyday foods. However, there are also other ingredients that add a sweet taste, such as glucose syrup, fructose syrup, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, etc.
These ingredients are widely used by food industry lobbies, particularly for their unique organoleptic characteristics:
- Taste: Fairly mild on the palate, they enhance the taste of a product while activating the pleasure and reward circuit in our brain. In the long run, this then promotes our sugar addiction, which pushes us to repurchase sugary products.
- Texture: Sugars also influence the texture of foods. They can make some cookies crispier/more yummy, some cakes lighter, or some jams and pastries more gel-like.
- Preservation: Sugars also help extend the shelf life of foods by reducing water activity. This allows bacteria to grow more slowly.
They are therefore present everywhere in our diet in ultra-processed products, but also in fresh fruits and dairy products. They are in the form of simple or complex molecules (such as sucrose, glucose, lactose, etc.) with different sweetening powers. It is the quantity of all these molecules that is indicated in the nutritional table in the “sugars” line and which allows for a more or less sweet taste.
This content is calculated according to the list and quantity of ingredients contained in the article: it represents the actual quantity of sugars consumed. However, it is important to have a little common sense: not all sugars are equal, processed and refined sugars are much more harmful than natural sugars present in fruits (which are also very rich in nutrients) or in certain dairy foods like milk, cheese etc.
Sugar, the evil of the century: why avoid it?
Generally speaking, sugars have a negative impact on our health by causing a major metabolic disorder.
They increase the risk of certain dangerous health diseases such as type 1 or 2 diabetes, obesity, but also cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, or even cancers.
From a biological perspective, when sugars are ingested, they induce an increase in blood sugar levels that varies depending on the glycemic index of the food being ingested. Indeed, a food with a high glycemic index such as sugars, or processed foods rich in simple molecules, will have a very significant impact on postprandial blood sugar levels: it will increase drastically. This promotes small cravings and therefore a higher consumption of calories and sugars, further increasing the risks of diabetes and obesity in the long term.
Otherwise, a food or meal rich in fiber, low in sugar, composed primarily of whole-grain ingredients, or rich in protein, etc., will promote a lower postprandial glycemic index. Your satiety will be long-lasting, helping to avoid snacking, with a beneficial impact on your digestion and intestinal health.
Sugars contribute to the destabilization of bacterial flora (reduction of bacterial diversity) and disrupt food assimilation. This alters our cellular metabolism and may promote the growth of tumor cells (in combination with other intrinsic factors) in the long term and in the most serious cases.
The consequences are not yet very clear: according to certain laboratory studies, excessive and regular sugar consumption also negatively impacts brain function in certain rodents (such as learning, communication, social behavior, etc.).
How much sugar should you consume per day?
According to ANSES , it is not recommended to eat more than 100 grams of sugar per day (excluding lactose - minimally processed dairy products).
Furthermore, the WHO (World Health Organization) is even more drastic and recommends eating 25g of sugar per day (the equivalent of 6 teaspoons).
In France, it is estimated that 20 to 30% of the population consumes more of it on a daily basis. Globally, this is causing an increase in the rate of obesity and overweight, because the sugar and calorie intake is very often too high compared to our actual needs.
To limit the risks of this overconsumption, the solution is simple: limit the amount of sugar per day by limiting the intake of overly sweet foods in our daily lives. This means reducing or eliminating cakes, cookies, candies, ice cream, drinks (juices and sodas), chocolates, etc. Favor raw and natural foods!
But it's also essential to limit the invisible sugars found in processed foods. Some products sometimes contain added sugars, such as sandwich bread and toast, preserves, sugary drinks, flavored yogurts, ready meals, sauces, etc.
You should then check the ingredient lists (and nutritional tables) closely. Opt for lower-sugar or no-added-sugar alternatives (often more expensive), the main thing is to cut down on overly sweet food items... Read our article on foods that make you fat .
At the same time, you can definitely favor ingredients that are sweet in taste (or not) but minimally processed, such as fruits and vegetables, cottage cheese, oat flakes, almonds. Also read our article on the lowest calorie foods . The action can sometimes be quite simple, such as starting by removing the sugar you add to your morning coffee or choosing fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.
However, you should not overeat as a dessert or snack, without making it your main course, and limit snacking between meals. These little tips will help you limit weight gain that may be due to your excessive sugar intake.
Once again, it's all about balance; the most important thing is to have a varied diet and limit excesses. But don't get frustrated: three small cakes won't kill you! The most important thing is to feel better about your body while maintaining delicious recipes every day.
You'll also find all our protein-rich, low-sugar snacks on our website! Our new Super Nuts bar is a great substitute for nut bars on the market: they're sugar-free, minimally processed, and natural.
