Over the course of history, we always had one type of food that was responsible for all of our ailments. Some people were demonizing fats for decades and now the focus turned to sugar. We’ve all heard it before - “Sugar is the white satan”. An outrageous claim, some may say, but does it have any scientific value?

While it is true that you need to limit your daily sugar consumption and that taking too much of it may lead to numerous diseases, that’s not the whole story. Unless you have a chronic disease like diabetes, you don’t need to avoid sugar like a plague.

In the lines below we will explain why we believe that sugar is unrightfully stigmatized by both the scientific community and the media as well.

Let’s get started!

Why can sugar be bad for you?

First of all, it’s true that the overconsumption of sugar can be a bad idea overall. There are many ways in which sugar can impact your health and here are some of the most common scenarios:

• It can cause weight gain and obesity
• It can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Your risk for diabetes type 2 is going up as well
• Some cancers appear more frequently in people who eat too much sugar
• You will age faster
• It will drain your energy and you will be more prone to depression and anxiety

Based on current recommendations, a healthy adult shouldn’t consume more than 12.5 teaspoons (200 calories) of added sugar. In general, if you can stay away from sweetened beverages, it is not too difficult to stay within that range. Of course, people with one or more chronic conditions have different recommendations, but as long as you follow the instructions of your doctor, you shouldn’t have any issues whatsoever.

But what happens if you go a bit overboard? Will that extra sugar destroy your health? The answer is - not really.

Sugar won’t destroy your health if you consume it reasonably

The truth is, sugar is present in many dishes that we eat on an everyday basis. If you’d want to remove sugar altogether, you would need to remove a lot of foods from your diet, even bread. The good news is - you don’t have to do that. If you consume it in moderation, sugar is a dietary component that will cause no harm at all.

Claims that the sugar industry is bribing the scientists who are researching its effects on the overall health are completely wrong. Sugar is neither bad nor good, it can be a standard part of your diet and you shouldn’t have any guilt about it. And yes, you can have desserts as well.

Not all sugar comes in the form of “empty calories”

Another very popular claim is that sugar is just a set of “empty calories”. Does this claim have any value? Not at all.

Not all sugar comes in the form of “empty calories”, and likewise, many foods that contain it are considered healthy. Chocolate milk, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, orange juice - all of these foods can be valuable assets to a reasonably healthy diet. Chocolate milk is one of the best sources of calcium and vitamin D while orange juice will supply the body with the needed folate, potassium, and vitamin C.

Dark chocolate can be a good dessert, but on top of that, it can also provide numerous health benefits. Cocoa can reduce inflammation, it can fight both depression and anxiety, and it may even slow down the aging process. So yes, even chocolate can be healthy if you eat it reasonably.

Natural sugar is not a problem at all

Last (but not least), we have to point out that natural sugar and added sugar are two different things. While we do have a limit on how much added sugar we can eat on a daily basis, the same doesn’t apply to natural sugar (like fructose and lactose). We can find natural sugar in fruits, milk, and dairy products in general. All of these foods provide plenty of beneficial nutrients and cutting any of them from your diet (especially fruits) is not a good idea.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should consume these foods without moderation. But it does mean that foods that contain natural sugar provide many benefits to your body, and as such, they can be a part of any diet regardless of how healthy it is.

The bottom line

Moderation is the key. As long as you consume sugar in moderation, it won’t do any harm to your body. Sugar is not the “white Satan” who will destroy your body and make you sick. It’s a dietary component just like any other. Many foods that contain it are good for your health, and if you consume them responsibly, you will ensure that your diet is well-balanced and that you don’t lack any crucial nutrients.

Order Meal offers plenty of foods with sugar in it. That applies to both desserts and salty foods in general. We are the leading takeaway & home delivery service in New Zealand and the place where you can order foods from some of the best restaurants in the country. You can use our platform on any device and everything you find is easily accessible. All of your data is secured and there is no risk of any of it being compromised. All you need to do is place the order and everything will be delivered right at your doorstep!

Give Order Meal a try and order your favorite dishes today.