Sugar Is more than Sweetness
Sugar is the generic name for a sweet-tasting
substance used in cooking. It is also found naturally in fruits, vegetables and
milk. Sugar can cause global obesity and diabetes.
In Thailand, 200,000 people are diagnosed as
diabetic patients each year with 8,000 deaths per year (Ministry Of Public
Health [MOPH], 2016). However, we should eat sugar because our body requires
energy from sugar, it eliminates blemishes and restores the balance of skin
oil, provides energy and promote good mood.
Nowadays, Thai people consume too much sugar.
Statistics show that Thai people eat 20 teaspoons per day which is 2 to 3
times higher than the daily sugar
demand. According to the World Health Organization, our body needs about 6
teaspoons (about 23-25 grams) of sugar per day or a maximum of 10 teaspoons
(Ministry of Health [MOH], 2016). When the body does not burn out, sugar is
converted into fat to accumulate in various parts of the body such as hips,
buttocks, abdomen, legs and finally become obese. However, we can control
diabetes by eating the right amount of sugar each day with proper resting and
exercising, for example, having to eat 3 meals a day, get enough sleep and
exercising.
Working within the body requires energy from sugar.
All parts of the body, including muscles, brain, heart, and live need energy to
work. When we eat food the food we eat will be digested by mixing it with acids
and enzymes in the stomach. When the
stomach digests food, the carbohydrate containing sugars and starches in
the food then the stomach and small intestines absorb the glucose and fructose
then release into the bloodstream. Both glucose and fructose can be used
immediately for energy or stored in our bodies, So sugar import energy to your
body
Additionally, sugar is a natural source of glycolic
acid, an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) that penetrates the skin and breaks down the
"glue" that bonds skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and
generating fresher, younger-looking skin. Glycolic acid is typically used to
treat sun-damaged and aging skin. So, sugar can make our skin more resistant to
the sun, help eliminates blemishes and
restores the balance
in the skin
oil. A good example of this advantage of sugar is using sugar body
scrubs and body lotion to exfoliate dead surface skin cells and reveal glowing,
smooth and healthy skin.
Furthermore, sugar provides energy and promote good
mood. Doctors and scientists are examining the connections between sugar, our
energy and mood. There is a scientific evidence to support the fact that
dietary changes can have a positive impact on brain chemistry and metabolism,
leading to improvements in mood and energy level, This Corresponds to a
recently published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism by
Tyron M. Stanhope which reported that
the consumption of a sugary beverage relieved the stress of female volunteers
when this faced difficult mathematical problems. In this stage women consumed a
beverage containing sugar or the non-nutritive sweetener aspartame three times
a day for two weeks. The result revealed
that those given the sugary drinks had a significantly lower level of
stress-associated cortisol than women drinking the artificially sweetened
beverage.
To sum up, sugar is a natural ingredient gives sweetness
that has been part of our meal for long time. Sugar can be used during
processing and cooking and found naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk.
Although a lot of sugar can be harmful, we have to eat the right amount of
sugar to get energy, fresh and healthy skin, boost energy and good mood.
