Discover why it is advisable to eliminate white sugar and refined sugar from our daily diet and from our own diet.
Did you know that, today, more than 120 million tons of white or refined sugar are produced worldwide? Only by looking at these statistics can we really realize the widespread consumption of this type of sweetener. It is used for everything: to sweeten desserts of all kinds, certain dishes, and common and common drinks such as coffee or tea. In fact, it is quite common to consume white sugar several times a day; For example, if you have coffee with milk for breakfast, it is quite likely that you use it as a sweetener. And if in addition, after eating or in the middle of the afternoon, you make another coffee again, how sure are you going to use it again as a sweetener?
Although originally white sugar is extracted from both beets and sugar cane (that is, at first it is a natural food), chemical products and high-temperature cooking procedures are used in the production process.
The result? All its essential nutrients are lost, especially minerals, vitamins and fiber, so that a food that was natural in origin and rich in nutrients becomes an industrial and chemical product that only provides empty calories.
How do you get refined white sugar?
To obtain refined white sugar, at first it is obtained from sugar cane, which is minced in machines and its juice is extracted by pressure, adding hot water to extract the maximum amount of sucrose.
It then goes through a clarification process, in which the temperature of the juice is raised and a clear juice is separated. It is possible that bones or lime (which helps to separate insoluble compounds), or gaseous sulfur dioxide are used in this stage in order to bleach it.
The juice evaporates and a kind of syrup is obtained, which is again purified in a clarifier. From crystallization crystals and liquid are obtained. With centrifugation the crystals are separated from the liquid, it is dried in hot air dryers and finally it is cooled in countercurrent cold air coolers.
Why is it so unhealthy?
Very simple: fundamentally because during the production process all its essential nutrients have been lost, going from a natural food rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber to a food that only provides empty calories.
Empty calories are foods that provide a lot of energy, but nevertheless they hardly provide nutrients (there are even foods very rich in this type of calories that do not provide any nutrients).
In this way, they become foods that, among other aspects, increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, by producing a direct caloric increase, stimulating appetite, causing adverse metabolic effects and replacing healthy foods.
Taking into account that white sugar stands out precisely for its zero nutrient content, and its high caloric intake, it is clear that we are faced with a product – chemical, let’s not forget – that should not be in our diet.
What are its effects on our health?
- It ‘steals’ nutrients from us: For our body to be able to assimilate and metabolize it, white sugar needs calcium and B vitamins, such as vitamin B1. If we take into account that white sugar does not provide nutrients, and therefore does not provide calcium or vitamin B1, we find that it is a product that literally ‘steals’ the nutrients from our body. In case of vitamin B1 deficiency, disorders in the nervous system appear, such as nervousness, depression, tingling and palpitations. In addition, it favors the proliferation of intestinal parasites.
- Demineralization and loss of vitamins: Since white sugar needs minerals and vitamins for its metabolization, this process decreases the absorption capacity of nutrients, also favoring the appearance of slow metabolism. This causes lack of energy, hair loss, fatigue, and digestive and stomach problems.
- It can influence the onset of diabetes: Since refined sugar enters the bloodstream very quickly, it causes the pancreas to secrete a large amount of insulin so that it can be transported to the organs. All this subjects the pancreas to a ‘stress’ that causes it to be less efficient. The result? In the short term, it prevents proper assimilation of food. While in the long term it influences the appearance of diabetes.
- It favors overweight and obesity: Precisely because of the process that we indicated in the previous section. By producing insulin spikes, which cannot be stored, this glucose is converted into fat stores.
- Enemy of your teeth: The more white or refined sugar you consume, the more likely you are to suffer tooth decay. Especially if this product is consumed since childhood (for example, with the consumption of soft drinks or gummies).
Are you really still not convinced why you should eliminate white sugar and any other type of refined sugar from your diet?
