5 Facts About Sugar You Believed Were True But Are Actually Wrong

Last Updated on 2020-12-21 , 5:53 pm

Did someone say sugar?

Who doesn’t love sugar? It’s sweet and makes all our favourite sinful treats extra delicious, like cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream.

The list could go on forever, but let’s get straight to the point:

I’m not going to lie, I can’t count the number of times someone has told me that sugar is bad for me because of one reason or other.

But is sugar really the devil we paint it to be and are what we’ve been told all true?

5 Facts About Sugar You Believed Were True But Are Actually Wrong

Wonder no more, because I’m going to answer all your questions.

1. All Sugar Is Bad, Period

There’s a universal understanding of sugar. Sugar is bad because it makes us gain weight. Period. But is this really true and can sugar actually be good for you?

Well, it turns out that all those times we’ve been told that we should eat less sugar, it was in reference to “added sugar”.

There are two kinds of sugar, namely naturally occurring ones like in fruits (fructose) and added sugar that you’ll find in sugary drinks and desserts. Sugar in fruits isn’t ‘bad’ because the fibre in fruits help you to absorb sugar at a slower rate.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the latter.

2. Eating Sugar Will Give You An Endless List Of Diseases

Heart disease? Cancer? Numerous studies have linked sugar to diseases but is sugar the real culprit and is there a need to avoid it altogether?

The answer is no.  A study on more than 350,000 adults that lasted over a decade found that the consumption of added sugar was not linked to an increased risk of death.

So there you have it, folks. You won’t actually get cancer or heart disease from eating added sugar. Not directly anyway. As always, the key is always moderation.

3. Sugar Is Addictive, Just Like A Drug

A what now?

Apparently, the addictive nature of sugar was born out of this: after eating sugary foods your blood sugar spikes and you get that high, but later on, you’re bound to crash.

To get back to that ‘high’ you tend to want to eat more sugary foods, thus giving it an addictive nature.

However, Giuseppe Gangarossa, who has a PHD debunks this myth and clarifies that sugar is not classified as addictive, and it certainly is not comparable to drugs.

In simple terms, we might reach for that chocolate bar once in a while, but it certainly does not have an addictive nature to it as drugs do.

4. It’s Fine To Replace Sugary Drinks With Sugar-free Alternatives Like Coke Zero

Unfortunately, this is a misconception that isn’t always true. A good example is coke zero and normal coca-cola. Many believe that they’re choosing a healthier alternative by picking Coke Zero.

Unbeknownst to them, coke zero is filled with additives that may cause even more harm to our bodies than just consuming tablespoons of sugar would.

Aw hell no.

The best thing to do? Drink a glass of 0-calorie water instead.

5. Going On A 0g Of Sugar Diet Will Help You To Shed The Kilos

No, no and no. For the last time, excluding anything out of your diet is not only unhealthy, but it might not work at all. Always remember this rule of thumb: Calorie in and calorie out.

When it comes down to it, the number of calories you burn has to be more than the number of calories you consume (doesn’t matter from which food group) in order for you to lose weight.

It’s pretty simple really, but a lot of people still think that just excluding certain foods will make them lose weight. It won’t if you’re still eating too much.

You can check the calorie counter here to see get an estimate of your calorie requirement for the day.

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