After the first bite, sugar drops into the bloodstream and causes the pancreas to produce insulin—a hormone that, like a key, "opens" the cell door and allows sugar to enter. There, the ingredient is broken down and turned into glucose, fuel for the body to live. But it's not just sugar that turns into glucose: it's the same with carbohydrates, proteins, and fat.
Diabetes is precisely the disease that affects this process: the pancreas stops producing insulin when required too much.
, Another effect is that the glucose that builds up in the cell generates what experts call "toxic waste. When there's too much sugar, and you don't expend that energy, you get fat. In particular, those who eat many sweets are more likely to have tumors in the intestine, breast, and prostate.
- We know that this toxicity that sugar brings to the cell can increase the destruction of brain cells, which would cause some brain disease. What can happen is Alzheimer's - says Mário Kehdi Carra, an endocrinologist at the Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo and president of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abaco).
Sugar addiction (or the craving for more and more) occurs because, after the first bite, the taste buds warn the brain that we are eating sugar. Then the body produces dopamine and serotonin, hormones for happiness. Once with pleasure, we want more and more.
It turns out that the more we eat sugar, the more our taste buds get used to that taste. Consequence: to send the brain warnings to produce the hormones of happiness, more and more sugar will be needed, explains Balduino Tschiedel, an endocrinologist at the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM).
— Then, when the individual runs out of sugar, it's almost like a chemical dependency. You become depressed, sad, anxious, and more eager to eat. That's where it's addictive — says Tschiedel, also director-president of the Instituto da Criança com Diabetes.
In post-menopause, refined sugar is even associated with insomnia, showed a study carried out at the prestigious Columbia University in the United States. Scientists analyzed data collected over four years from more than 53,000 women aged 50 to 79 years. The results indicated that consumption of simple carbohydrates (found in white bread, sweets, soft drinks, and stuffed biscuits) was associated with difficulty sleeping. At the same time, a higher intake of fiber, grains, and vegetables was linked to a lower prevalence of insomnia.
The result, the drop in blood sugar, can lead to the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can interfere with sleep," he said. James Gangwisch in a press release.
For those who eat a lot of sweets, physical activity helps burn glucose, which prevents its accumulation in the blood and insulin spikes — something important to avoid, in the future, diabetes. The muscle contraction that occurs during exercise also naturally injects sugar into cells—as a result, the pancreas is spared some of the work.
The consensus among experts is that no one needs to be bitter: sugar is not, by itself, a villain. Just consume it little by little and, preferably, in the dessert. Your health, thanks.
- 50g of sugar equals...
- 3.6 chocolates (each Sonho de Valsa has 11g of sugar)
- More than half a can of soda (a 350ml Coca-Cola can have 37g of sugar)
- More than half a 300ml bottle of fruit nectar (Del Vale has 32g of sugar)
- Half a 300ml bottle of tea (Mate Leão has 25g)
- One fifth in frozen lasagna (Sadia lasagna is 10.27g)
- Approximately three frozen pizzas (depending on the manufacturer, the entire pizza can be between 17g and 18g)
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