The Bitter Truth: How Excess Sugar Impacts Your Health

Sugar is a common and well-known carbohydrate that plays a significant role in the human diet and various industries.

The common types of sugar are as follows:

Granulated Sugar:

It is manufactured out of either sugarcane or sugar beets and is in form of fine small crystals. It is most commonly utilized as a general sweetener for baking purposes and in beverages.

 

Powdered Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar):

Powdered sugar is composed of exceptionally fine, granulated sugar with little or no cornstarch added to prevent it sticking together.

 

Brown Sugar:

Brown sugar is the combination of sugar grains with molasses that makes it appear brown. It also has the taste of caramel.

 

Light Brown Sugar:

This is milder in flavour and contains less molasses.

 

Dark Brown Sugar:

More molasses is contained in it with strong, richer tasting.

 

Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar):

Although they are not as fine as powdered sugar, caster sugar’s crystals are finer than normal granulated sugar.

 

Turbinado Sugar:

Likewise, turbinado sugar is not as processed as granulated sugar, and it has some of the original molasses in it.

 

Demerara Sugar:

Much like turbinado sugar, demerara sugar has big, light brown crystal fragments.

 

Muscovado Sugar:

Dark brown, unpolished sugar which has a rich taste of molasses.

 

Coconut Sugar:

Liquid that comes from a coconut tree is used in making sugar.

 

Maple Sugar:

The extraction of a liquid from maple trees results in maple. In this type of recipe, it is often utilized in regions with many maple trees such as in some areas of North American.

 

Honey:

Made by honeybees from flowers’ juice. It is technically not some sugar but serves as a sweetener used when cooking or baking.

 

Agave Nectar:

It is a sweet syrup obtained from agave plant. Its use as part of many recipes that require liquid like sugars.

 

Stevia:

Stevia is an all-natural, no calory sweetener which comes from the leaves of stevia plant. Such, it serves as a sugar substitute for numerous low calorie and sugar free products.

 

Reasons and advantages of using sugar in cooking and baking:

Sweetening:

Firstly, sugar has an effect in adding sweet tastes on numerous diet items and beverages thus enabling people enjoy their consumption.

 

Texture Improvement:

Moreover, sugar contributes to moistening of cakes, tenderizing of cookies as well as creation of smooth and creamy consistency in ice-cream and sorbet.

 

Caramelization:

Caramelization colours our golden-brown treats like caramel and toffees and makes them crispier at the edges of baked products.

 

Preservation:

Among other ways, sugar is a key ingredient in preserving of various products such as fruits’ preservatives like jams, jellies, and fruit preserves.

 

Fermentation:

Alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, and spirits derive their basic nutrition form sugar that they use the yeast present within the molasses in these concentrations, thus turning into alcohol and CO2.

 

Tenderizing:

In addition, sugar aids in breaking down hard meat fibres when used in marinades and glazes, which makes such meat more tender and tastier.

 

Balancing Acidity:

When using certain foods, such as in tomato-based sauce, sugar is often added to even out the perception of acridity so that a meal becomes more appetizing.

 

Flavour Enhancement:

Sugar can bring about an intensification of fruitiness in many components such as chocolate and spices too.

 

Binding Ingredients:

For example, it is utilized as a binder in some recipes, such as those which involve creating delicious granola bars or energy balls.

 

Colour Enhancement:

Some dishes may have their colours improved by sugar. Examples include the lusher appearance of fruit fillings in pies and tarts.

 

Yeast Activation:

In bread making, some sugar may be added into yeast that facilitates fermentation and helps the dough rise.

 

Hygroscopic Properties:

Hygroscopic attracts and holds moisture. It is desirable to retain moisture in some recipes such as soft and chewy cookies.

 

Disadvantages of consuming sugar:

Health Concerns:

Excessive intake of sugars is associated with various health issues such as dental caries, obesity, and type II diabetes.

 

Empty Calories:

On calorie intake, sugar is deficient in valuable nutrients.

 

Blood Sugar Spikes:

Excessive intake of sugar leads to sudden peak in blood sugar levels, causing energy highs and lows with subsequent feelings of emptiness.

 

Addictive Properties:

Some people may get hooked on sugar and crave it, eating too much of it.

 

Obesity:

Excessive consumption of sugar is likely to result in weight gain or obesity as it is associated by high caloric content and negative effects on appetite regulation.

 

Dental Health:

When sugar interacts with certain bacteria in the mouth, acid results, which are responsible for corroding teeth enamel.

 

Insulin:

Too much sugar consumption contributes to insulin resistance that predisposes one to type 2 diabetes.

 

Negative Impact on Heart Health:

Consuming too much sugar may lead to cardiovascular diseases as high sugar intake leads to inflammation, increases blood pressure, and induces bad Cholesterol.