What to choose: regular sugar or sweetener

With the onset of the autumn cold, a person usually begins to pull on sweets: cakes, cakes and other confectionery. The editorial board of "Made in Russia" together with the Performance Group tells what effect sweet dishes have on the body, and whether it is worth using its substitutes instead of refined sugar.

According to the nutritionist of the Level Kitchen service, nutritionist, expert in the field of healthy nutrition Tatyana Meshcheryakova, sweet taste, along with other tastes, is necessary in our general taste palette. Moreover, it is he who directly connects us with the emotions of joy and happiness. That is why it is difficult for a person to completely give up sweets, especially for women. Children are also attracted to everything sweet. Is it worth giving up sweets completely? In my opinion, it is much more important to control their quantity and quality.

The benefits and harms of refined sugar

The benefits of refined sugar should not be expected, however, in reasonable quantities (the recommended safe sugar rate is 25-30 grams per day, depending on age), it will not cause significant harm and “decorate” many dishes. Sugar is clearly harmful to the body when there is an overabundance of consumption. After all, it is also found in a hidden form in such products as bread and bakery products, sausages, ready-made sauces, instant porridges, ready-made breakfasts, yoghurts with additives, soft drinks and packaged juices.

What can excessive sugar consumption lead to? To metabolic disorders, decreased immunity, impaired calcium metabolism and calcium deficiency, caries, decreased skin tone, premature aging, weight gain, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases.

The so-called “hidden sugar” is a very serious problem. According to some estimates, the daily “unnoticeable” consumption of sugar can reach 200-250 grams per day, which exceeds the norm by 5-10 times. And this is a very fast way to serious problems. Therefore, an informed choice of products is very important, as well as the formation of children's understanding of the dangers of overeating sweets. It is important to develop a wide range of tastes from early childhood, without skewing towards sweet foods.

The benefits and harms of sweeteners

If you still decide to give up regular sugar in favor of its substitutes, then you should give preference to natural compounds - stevia, erythritol, honey or jerusalem artichoke syrup. Each of them has its own indicators of “sweetness" and its own norm. But I recommend always minimizing their number, because we do not have complete information on their long-term use and consequences. In addition, they are not always suitable for baking.

Is it worth giving up refined sugar in favor of a sweetener?

My personal opinion is no, it's not worth it. Quite a lot of sweeteners have been released at the moment, among them a lot of artificially synthesized ones. There are also more natural ones obtained from vegetable raw materials. However, their taste, additional “aftertaste”, aftertaste, the possibilities of use in cooking are not always unambiguous. In addition, there are issues related to their assimilation and subsequent metabolism. There is evidence in the literature that a number of sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, etc.) are quite difficult to metabolize by the body, which can lead to kidney problems.

On the other hand, as is well known, ordinary refined sugar is a product of low nutritional value. At the same time, its analogues - unrefined yellow, as well as cane - are already of great value, may also include a number of minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, a number of B vitamins).

Is it worth giving up sweets altogether?

I do not advise you to completely give up sweets. Sweet taste can and should be present in the diet in balance with other tastes (salty, sour, bitter, spicy, astringent). It is much more important to put the reception of sweets under strict control. However, if there is a pronounced craving for sweets, then it is worth replacing refined sugar with dried fruits, sweet berries and other fruits, honey and sweet vegetables (for example, pumpkin, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke).

There are several more recommendations for solving this dependence: add chromium to the diet, which is directly involved in glucose metabolism and promotes its penetration into the cell, exclude the presence of chronic hypoxia (oxygen starvation), which provokes a strong craving for sweets, and exclude the presence of a parasitic infection (especially fungal). But do not self-medicate.

An unhealthy love of sweets is a reason to consult a specialist.

Read more interesting news in our Telegram channelAuthor: Alexander Gromov

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