How unhealthy is sugar and sweetener really?

Also read: When is sugar healthy?

What is sugar?

Lactose is the only sugar of animal origin that is found in all animal milk. Because lactose is less sweet than fructose or sucrose, milk does not taste sweet, although the sugar content is high (4.5% in cow's milk, 7% in breast milk).

Sugar is not only used in food for its sweetness, but also as a preservative (e.g. in jam), a flavour enhancer (e.g. in cooked vegetables) and to give structure to food.

Also read: Carbohydrates: glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, sucrose and saccharose

What health problems are linked to sugar?

• Obesity: Obesity is caused by various factors and is therefore not exclusively due to the intake of sugars. However, research shows that a higher intake of free sugars (added sugars and sugars naturally present in fruit juices) is associated with a higher body weight. This is due to a difference in energy balance: people who eat more free sugars have a higher calorie intake on average. In addition, sugars in liquid form – in soft drinks, but also in fruit juice, yoghurt, etc. – do not give a feeling of satiety and can therefore increase the chance of being overweight.
• Diabetes: The cause of diabetes type 1 is not related to a sugary diet, but this can be the case with diabetes type 2. Eating or drinking a lot of products with added sugars increases the chance of being overweight. And being overweight increases the chance of diabetes type 2. Lack of exercise, older age and hereditary factors also increase the risk of diabetes type 2. Too much sugar, especially from soft drinks and fruit juices, can lead to the production of fats in your liver. It also stimulates the production of abdominal fat and fats in the blood. This can make your body less sensitive to insulin, which can lead to diabetes type 2.
• Vitamin deficiency: According to a popular theory, people who eat a lot of added sugars would get too few minerals and vitamins (micronutrients). What's more, sugar would be a 'vitamin robber': the presence of sugar in a food would nullify the effect of the vitamins present. This hypothesis of 'diluting nutrient intake by sugar consumption' is probably an oversimplification of a complex subject. There are various factors that influence our food consumption. In any case, it is clear that a reduction in the use of added sugars does not necessarily lead to an improved intake of micronutrients. An amount of added sugars in the range of 5-20 energy percent has no clear negative effect on whether or not the standard for micronutrients is met.
• Bad teeth: Sugar can actually cause tooth decay (caries). This has nothing to do with the amount of sugar and other fermentable carbohydrates you consume, but with the frequency with which you eat or drink sugar. Sugar with meals is not that bad, but snacking or drinking sugary drinks in between is a problem. To prevent tooth decay, it is important not to eat or drink sugar too often outside of regular meals, and to brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste.
• ADHD: Sugar does not cause ADHD, but several observational studies have shown that sugar intake is linked to worsening ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents. “In some children with rare hypersensitivity reactions, sugar could contribute to a form of ADHD, but this certainly cannot be generalized,” says nutrition expert Prof. GJ Schaafsma of Wageningen University.

Also read: Are light products healthy? The pros and cons in a row

Can you be addicted to sugar?

Natural sugars vs added sugars

About half of all the sugar we consume is naturally present in our food, for example in fruit. Many people think that natural sugars from fruit are better than added sugar. That is not true: sugars from apples, bananas, grapes or kiwis are simply sugars and contain just as many calories and are just as bad for your teeth. The sugar in orange juice, freshly squeezed or from a carton – consists of half the same sucrose as the sugar in a cube and the other half of 'predigested' regular sugar. In terms of health, the sugar in a bottle of cola is therefore perfectly comparable to the sugar in fruit juice or drinking yoghurt. A glass of drinking yoghurt even contains more sugar than a glass of cola. The only difference is that fruit juice and drinking yoghurt also contain a little vitamins and minerals.

Also read: How can you recognize hidden sugars?

Honey, cane sugar and beet sugar

Honey consists largely of sugars, namely fructose and glucose, which are as bad for the teeth as regular sugar (sucrose). The traces of the micro-nutrients it contains are so low that they are of little importance.

Chemically, beet and cane sugar are the same: 100% sucrose. The manufacturing processes are also almost identical. The light brown color of cane sugar is due to the manufacturing process, or comes from sugar syrup that is added to white cane sugar.

Sugar substitutes or sweeteners

Nowadays, sugar is replaced by sweeteners in all kinds of products. They contain few or no calories and do not cause tooth decay.

The best known are the so-called intense sweeteners with a sweetening power much higher than sugar, such as aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, Acesulfame K and sucralose. Reports regularly appear that these products cause cancer and many other ailments. The WHO has now added aspartame to the list of possible carcinogenic substances. It is therefore recommended not to exceed the ADI (= acceptable Daily Intake) expressed per kg body weight. In the context of overweight and for people who want to limit their sugar intake, these sweeteners are a good alternative to sugar.

In addition, there are also so-called extensive sweetenersthe polyols or sugar alcohols such as maltitol, lactitol, sorbitol, isomalt, xylitol … Their sweetening power is equal to or less than sugar and they provide about half the calories of regular sugar. These sweeteners are mainly used in the production of chewing gum, sweets, possibly chocolate and biscuits, … without sugar.

Also read: Are artificial sweeteners harmful to health?

Sources:
https://www.voedingscentrum.nl
https://www.hartstichting.nl
https://www.gezondleven.be