Part of our genetic heritage is an inborn taste for sweet foods. Honey was the primary sweetener in Europe, until about 1500, when refined sugar cane came into greater use.
Moderate amounts of both naturally occurring and added sugars are part of any healthy diet.
Simple sugars are all the same, whether naturally occurring or added. But it is important to eat more of the healthy foods containing naturally occurring sugars.
Naturally occurring sugars are in many of the foods we eat: fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, fermented alcoholic beverages.
Added sugars usually originate in a natural source, such as sugar cane or sugar beats, or maple trees, but they are manufactured for the express purpose of adding sweetness to food.
The dry forms of added sugar are: brown sugar, granulated sugar, cane sugar, raw sugar, confectioner’s sugar and maple sugar.
Syrups are: honey, corn syrup, corn sweeteners, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose and molasses.
If you are on weight-control or weight-loss diet, you need to keep high-calorie snacks and candy to a minimum. But if you are weight stable, you can enjoy candy in moderation.
Some good news about candy:
- Chocolate, particularly good-quality dark chocolate contains the flavonoid catechin, an antioxidant. Catechin is also found in tea, it is known to have a role in reducing the risk for heart disease and cancer.
- Another study of chocolate showed that cacao powder extract is powerful antioxidant for reducing LDL bad cholesterol.
The great news is that moderate candy consumption – especially dark chocolate will make you healthier.
The drawback of eating too many sweets:
- Sugars contribute to tooth decay.
- By itself, sugar does not cause diabetes. However, the combination of high sugar intake with low dietary fiber does put a person at elevated risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes.
- High intake of refined sugar together with a lack of fiber in the diet can put a person at elevated risk for both diabetes and heart disease.
Here are some high sugar foods: cookies, cakes, pies, candy, soda pop, jelly, fruit drinks, syrups, honey, beer, wine, hard liquor.
How about artificial sweeteners?
Unless you are diabetic, don’t use artificial sweeteners. A teaspoon of sugar has only 15 calories, which is negligible. There is nothing wrong with using a little sugar or honey in your tea or coffee.
Stay away also from artificially sweetened foods. Stick with the natural variety.
A little bit of sugar is not bad at all.