Sugar is most often extracted from either sugar beet or sugar cane. It is used in cooking as well as in the food-processing and pharmaceutical industries for its sweet taste. Sugar consumption in France was formerly relatively uncommon, but like in most developed countries, it has rocketed in recent years. It is now in the region of 35 kg per year and per inhabitant. This over-consumption is all the more damaging as most of the sugar consumed is white sugar, which is highly refined and has lost the vitamins and minerals it contains. Integral, whole, brown and organic sugars indeed correspond to 3 refining levels. The clearer sugar is, the more refined and the less interesting it is as regards its nutritional value.
The drawback of white sugar is that, like all other highly refined food, it has a high glycemic index. This entails that after it has been swallowed, the body must secrete more insulin in order for it to be assimilated. In the long term, the frequent consumption of food with a high glycemic index in large quantities disturbs the regulation mechanisms of the blood sugar level, or glycaemia. It has now been established that the increase in sugar consumption is closely linked to the increase in cases of obesity (and notably childhood obesity), diabetes and all ailments related to these two illnesses.
Reduce day-to-day sugar consumption
- Stop adding sugar to hot drinks without replacing it with artificial sweeteners.
- Choose unsweetened natural yoghurt over fruit yoghurt for the entire family.
- Replace white sugar by whole sugar or substitutes such as agave syrup
- Favour fruits and stewed fruit with no added sugar for children’s snack.
- consume syrups and sodas occasionally.
- Limit the consumption of industrial meals, factory-baked cakes, fast food, biscuits and sweet breads and buns.
It is easy to limit the intake of sugars, our taste adapts very quickly and you will find plenty of foods that you consume before, definitely too sweet !