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.