Nutritionists have explained how sugar damages the body: this is what happens if we consume it in excess

The pandemic has seen an increase in the consumption of sweets

The American Heart Association’s recommended daily allowance for sugar is 25 grams, which is about 5 teaspoons, and the World Health Organization calls for no more than 5 to 10 teaspoons a day.

At that time, the Lithuanian population consumed 96 grams of sugar or around 25 teaspoons a day, but we do not stand out in terms of excessive sugar consumption in the world: Americans (around 126 grams) and Germans (around 103 grams) consume the largest amount of sugar in the world.

According to nutritionist dr. Rūta Petereit, recently, in view of the first and second waves of the pandemic, there is a slight increase in the consumption of sweets. This can be explained as a reaction to a prolonged stressful situation.

“The consumption of sweets is changing this year, it is probably understandable why people want them. Although the increasing understanding and attention of Lithuanians and the concerns about their health have been pleasant recently, it seems that the indicators of sugar consumption will not fall. They will continue to be similar, and during the quarantine, supermarkets also emphasize that sales of sweets have increased, “says the dietician.

What happens to the human body after consuming sugar?

Although consuming sugar-containing products in the human brain releases the happiness hormone dopamine, you feel a burst of energy and lift, in the long run, you pay for these moments of happiness at the expense of health. By emphasizing the need to feel moderate, the nutritionist explains what changes occur in the human body after eating something sweet.

“Consuming sweet foods or drinks increases the amount of glucose in a person’s blood and changes the properties of the blood. Because the body does not allow glucose levels to be high, the pancreas secretes insulin, which reduces the glucose to a lower limit or even below. Depending on the amount of sugar a person has consumed, both insulin will be released. The more snacks and sweet drinks we have in our day, the more fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin secretions occur. Insulin does not disappear anywhere, it remains circulating in the blood and its long-term excess promotes the development of various chronic diseases, ”warns Dr. R. Petereit.

About 20 to 30 minutes after consuming a sweet food or drink, a person may experience fatigue, drowsiness, and feelings of hunger. The more snacks and sweet drinks you consume and the more blood glucose fluctuations that occur, the more fatigued you will feel at the end of the day. According to Petereit, at the end of the working day, a person usually feels exhausted, but this is not a consequence of intense physical activity, but of the release of excess insulin.

The biggest concern is fatty liver disease

Unlike fatigue, the increased risk of chronic disease due to excess sugar has an immediate effect on human health. Excess sugar contributes to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and cancer diseases. Much research has been done showing that the release of excess insulin promotes the proliferation of cancer cells.

According to the dietician, the accumulation of internal fat, which is associated with a high sugar intake, is probably the most worrying lately.

“With an excess of insulin, the bad cholesterol in human blood increases and the good cholesterol decreases. As a result, a metabolic syndrome develops – an increase in internal fat, not external fat. A survey of the Lithuanian population conducted in 2019 showed that one in five people has a fatty liver. The number of fatty liver diseases is truly alarming. In 2025, the disease is expected to be one of the leading causes of liver transplantation. It seems to be an innocent consumption of sugar, but the damage is enormous, ”says Petereit.

The craving for sweet taste is biologically programmed

Although in 2018. An agreement was signed between SAM and some food producers to voluntarily reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fat in food, but the population itself continues to consume more sugar than it should. Based on the World Nutrition Report, dietitian Gertruda Babravičienė states that goals such as reducing the problem of overweight have not only not been achieved, but the situation is deteriorating.

According to her, more than half of the deaths in Lithuania are related to diseases related to lifestyle (bad eating habits, alcohol consumption, smoking). As for sugary drinks, their average consumption in Lithuania is 102.9 grams per day per person (158%), while the world average is 65.3 grams per person per day.

“The desire for a sweet taste is biologically programmed because it signaled a quick and safe source of energy for our ancestors, as opposed to the double taste, which meant that the plant was probably poisonous. It is also the first taste that a person is born to feel. The effects on the body, if consumed in moderation, are simple: it is energy in our daily activities, carbohydrates, which are made up of sugar molecules, are the main source of energy for our body.

However, taking it in excess carries a high risk of obesity and other related diseases, such as cancer. Frequent consumption of sugary sugars increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, sugar is the cause of tooth decay, excess sugar can cause atherosclerosis, which can later lead to cardiovascular disease, high sugar intake is associated with any acne, not just in teens. and adults ”, says G. Babravičienė.

The nutritionist also points out that the recommended sugar level includes all the sugars that are obtained from the food consumed during the day: honey, jam, bread, ketchup, dairy, ready-to-eat foods, sweets, sugary drinks, juices, nuts. . For example, a can of lemonade contains approximately 35 grams of sugar.

When they realize the harm of sugar, people try to cut down on it or even quit. According to G. Babravičienė, the body’s reaction to the rejection of sugar is very individual, because it also depends on what a person eats during the day, how he sleeps or follows the daily meal regimen.

“If you get enough energy from your main meals, there is no insomnia or a lot of stress, giving up added sugar should be pretty easy, but most of the problem is when there is not enough energy with daily food intake, lack of sleep, never eat normally and work or life tense. I have probably described most people of working age. Then, as it is biologically programmed, we look for the simplest, and probably the most pleasant way, to replenish the depleted reserves of our body ” said the doctor.

It is important to remember that sugar is not only found in candy.

According to the Department of Statistics, in 2014, the amount of sugar per capita was 33.9 kilograms per person per year. In 2001, 108.7 thousand tons were produced. tons of sugar, and in 2014 its production increased to 159 thousand. heaps. The production volumes of confectionery, cocoa, chocolate and other sweets companies also increase every year.

In response to the change in sugar consumption habits in Lithuania, dietician Žana Antonova states that the largest increase in sugar consumption is observed in the period 2005-2016, and recently it has remained relatively stable.

Questionnaire survey in 2020 January February To study the eating and physical activity habits of sixth to seventh grade pupils from Lithuanian general education schools participating in the Sveikatiados project. A total of 6,815 students participated in the survey.

When examining the students’ responses to the question of how often they eat sweets, it was found that one in two children (53.7%) consumes them daily and several times a day, of which almost one in five (20 , 5%) eats sweets several times. during the day. 42.5% of them eat infrequently (1-2 times a week). respondents and only a very small proportion (3.9%) of the children said they did not consume sweets.

According to the dietician, compared to previous studies, there has been a slight increase in the number of children who do not eat any sweets.

“Of course, we can suspect that the amount of foods with added sugar in our diet increases slightly during this period. Sweets are often used not only for taste, but also to regulate emotions when feeling strong emotions. There are people who “eat” those emotions. In such situations, having food on hand should be avoided and efforts should be made to change behavior by directing the regulation of emotions outside of food. “Added sugar promotes physiological changes in the body: it rapidly increases blood glucose levels, promotes increased insulin release, the development of inflammatory processes, resulting in the development of various diseases,” she says.

It is important to talk about a healthy lifestyle in general.

According to the dietitian, therefore, it is important to make a conscious effort to keep the amount of added sugar in the human diet to a minimum. Today, sugar should not exceed 5%. of daily energy consumption.

The development of overweight is associated with the development of overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease and dental caries, which is especially relevant in the age group of children.

“The most dangerous products with added sugar are various sweets and desserts, which contain a particularly high amount of sugar. 100 grams of sugar in such a product is more than 22 grams, which is a lot. If you look, most of the desserts and sweets, soft drinks, soft drinks have this amount of sugar, ”said Ž. Antonova.

However, eliminating sugar from the diet alone is not enough to prevent diseases associated with high sugar intake. The nutritionist stressed the importance of focusing on a healthy lifestyle in general.

“The consumption of sugar is not the only problem, it is necessary to evaluate the entire human lifestyle in general. If a person gives up sugar but consumes a lot of trans fat, the risk of developing chronic diseases remains. However, it decreases significantly when a person is physically active and the diet is favorable for their health, ”said the dietitian.