Sugar, An Enemy or a Friend?

To what extent does sugar consumption affect the human body? This question has created a debate among both general consumers and specialists alike.

Sugar provides the human body with energy; indeed it is the main source of energy and it helps increase vitality and activity. It is important to understand it in order to understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrates. They are classified as either monosaccharide, such as glucose and fructose or disaccharides such as lactose (milk sugar) and sucrose. Sugars are found naturally in fruits, or added to food, either industrially or at home. However, the body reacts to these two sugars in the same manner. Despite the common belief that sugar is the main cause of obesity, many international research studies have confirmed that fat-rich food is a bigger cause of obesity than food that consisting mainly of carbohydrates, including sugars.

Dr. Khalid Ali Al-Madani, a nutritionist, stresses that controlling and maintaining body weight depends on the balance between energy intake and the energy outgo. If the balance is upset - when the energy intake is greater than energy outgo - the body accumulates the difference as body fat. Dr. Al-Madani says that carbohydrates normally have less effect on increasing body weight than fats.

"It is easier to balance energy when consuming large amounts of carbohydrates than when consuming fats," he says. Each consumed gram of fat produces more than double the calories produced by one gram of carbohydrates.

Sugars are also blamed for unhealthy mouths and teeth. Starch and sugars are significant components of food residues that stay in the mouth. They feed the bacteria and help them create a plaque layer on teeth.

Scientific research, however, has proved that it is wrong to say that these substances are the main cause of cavities since they do not directly damage the teeth. Instead, they provide the medium for fermentation and collection of acidity. Here lies the importance of taking care of the teeth by brushing away the remains of food and the residues which settle on the teeth.

Scientific research has proved, contrary to popular belief, that there is no connection between Type II Diabetes (the type of diabetes not related to the insulin level) and sugars. This kind of diabetes is currently the most common. Treatment has improved considerably in recent years as a result of better understanding and growing awareness of the effects of various foods on blood sugar and the body's insulin level.

Dr. Al-Madani and other nutritionists stress that there is no such thing as 'good food' and 'bad food' but rather good diets and bad diets. "Moderation and a balanced consumption of all food elements is the ideal and healthiest solution for a healthy body," he said.