The Top 10 Best Sugar Facts

What do you know about sugar facts? Sugar is pretty much inescapable just because of how abundant it is. Not only does it stock the shelves of many homes and grocery stores, but it is also found in nature such as in fruits, sugar cane, and beets, among many other things. Sugar is always there to sweeten everything from fruit juice and soda to chocolate cakes and wine.

Its most common form is granulated white sugar, but there are several other kinds such as confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, and molasses, among others. Despite how common and mundane sugar might seem, it actually harbors some interesting sugar facts. 

Sugar Facts

1.     There is no such thing as a sugar rush. The entire idea that sugar is capable of making people hyperactive is linked to the false belief that such behavior originates from the high blood sugar levels that sugar creates. People with normal blood sugar levels will not experience a sugar rush or a sugar high because their bodies naturally regulate their blood sugar levels. Those with low blood sugar might experience an increase in energy upon eating sugar, but not enough to constitute a sugar rush. A lot of studies were conducted during the 1990s to determine that there is no statistically significant correlation between eating sugar and hyperactivity (Geggel, 2016).

2.     Sugar does not cause cavities. While this fact shouldn’t mean that you are free to eat sugar all day without consequences, sugar nonetheless is not one of the major contributors to the development of cavities. The real culprits are actually foods that are heavy in carbohydrates such as bread or crackers. This is due to the bacteria that live in our mouths. When the bacteria consume carbohydrates, they produce acid as a byproduct which decays tooth enamel and makes it possible for cavities to form (Fantozzi, 2018).

3.     Brown sugar is made in 2 different ways: refined and unrefined. Unrefined or raw brown sugar contains molasses remaining from the sugar refining process. It may taste dryer and harder than ordinary refined brown sugar. This is because refined brown sugar is actually ordinary granulated white sugar that has had molasses added back into it. This is the more commonly bought kind of brown sugar (Gallary, 2014).

4.     Varieties of molasses are just as diverse as sugars. Most people are familiar with either light or dark molasses, but there are more types than just those two. Molasses is made when sugar cane is boiled into a syrup and the sugar crystals are removed from the mixture, leaving a liquid (molasses) behind. Molasses may be sulfured or unsulfured, the latter of which is more popular since it is sweeter and has less of a chemical flavor. Light molasses is the product of the first boiling of cane sugar and is typically lighter and sweeter in flavor. Dark molasses is created from the second boiling of cane sugar and is thicker and more bitter than light molasses. Blackstrap molasses is created from the final boiling of cane sugar and is considered the healthiest of all molasses since it contains a lot of vitamins, however, it is also very thick and bitter and best used for savory foods (Gallary, 2014).

5.     Artificial sweeteners are not any healthier than regular sugar. Research shows that those who drink diet soda—which is sweetened with artificial sweeteners that have less calories than sugar—are twice as likely to be obese compared to those who do not drink diet soda. They are also 67% more likely to develop diabetes. Some artificial sweeteners have also been shown to be more addictive than cocaine such as saccharine (Fantozzi, 2018).

6.     Sugar is not addictive. While this is a highly contested idea, many research studies have shown that sugar is not addictive in humans. However, it does have the potential to be addictive in rodents under certain conditions. For example, rodents exhibit addiction-like behavior only when they are allowed to have sugar at designated times. The addiction-like behavior vanishes when the rodents are allowed to have access to sugar whenever they want, much like humans (Fantozzi, 2018). Keep that in mind the next time you feel like going for another serving of ice cream, doughnuts, or chocolate….

7.     You should not eliminate all sugar from your diet. First of all, it would be nearly impossible to actually take out all the sugar from your diet. This is because sugar is in everything from potatoes (which contain large sugar molecules known as polysaccharides) to fruits (which contain fructose). Secondly, glucose is highly important to your body’s ability to function properly. Glucose is especially important for the brain since it is its primary source of fuel (Fantozzi, 2018).

8.     Sugar does not cause cancer. Cancer is caused by environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors. While poor diet and lack of exercise may contribute to a higher risk of cancer, there is no scientific evidence that sugar is directly correlated to the development of cancer. There is also no evidence that a sugar-free diet reduces the risk of getting cancer (Beestone, 2018).

9.     Sugar does not necessarily lead to weight gain. When following a weight-reducing diet, there is no scientific evidence that sugar consumption causes weight gain. Studies have shown that those who were on a weight-reducing diet and ate or drank 10% to 20% of their calories in sugar per day continued to lose weight normally (Beestone, 2018).

10.  Sugar is not often the culprit behind heart disease and obesity. Of course, sugary foods tend to have lots of calories such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and so on. Consumption of such high-calorie foods will ultimately lead to weight gain and possible heart problems. However, this is true for any high-calorie foods, regardless of the sugar content. Sugar alone is not likely to be solely responsible for obesity and heart disease (Fantozzie, 2018).

References:

Beestone, Charlie. (2018). “7 Outrageous Sugar Myths and the Real Science Behind Them.” Food For Fitness. Retrieved from https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/sugar-myths/.

Fantozzie, Joanna. (2018). “8 Myths About Sugar You Need to Stop Believing.” Insider. Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/sugar-myths-not-true-2017-9.

Gallary, Christine. (2014). “Everything You Need to Know About Molasses.” The Kitchn. Retrieved from https://www.thekitchn.com/a-guide-to-molasses-ingredient-intelligence-210864.

Gallary, Christine. (2014). “Where Does the Brown in Brown Sugar Come From?” The Kitchn. Retrieved from https://www.thekitchn.com/where-does-the-brown-in-brown-sugar-come-from-ingredient-intelligence-215952.

Geggel, Laura. (2016). “Does Sugar Make Kids Hyper?” LifeScience. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/55754-does-sugar-make-kids-hyper.html.