The sugar fix

How can life be sweet – and healthy?

Sugar. With Easter just gone, many of us have consumed a fair bit of it. Of course, there’s a lot said and written about sugar by health and lifestyle experts; about the impact it has on our bodies and the negative effects it can have on our health.

So, with the Easter eggs all gone now, what can you practically do – what food supplements could you perhaps think about introducing – to lead a healthier life?

The effects are bigger than you might think

Many of us are fond of something containing a bit of sugar. It could be a sneaky trip to the biscuit tin, a few pieces of chocolate ‘just to keep us going’, or a small Danish pastry with a coffee. At the same time, most of us are also aware that too much sugar isn’t good for us, and probably connect this with weight-related issues. But it’s actually a lot bigger than this.

In addition to weight gain, sugar can have an effect on – and contribute towards:

• Gut health
• ‘Brain fog’ (poorer levels of concentration, fuzzy thoughts, less clear memory)
• Mood swings and depression (for example, children and adults with autism and ADHD can be particularly affected)
• Crohn’s disease
• Arthritis
• Skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis

What’s your gut feeling?

Sugar can have a negative effect on your gut microbiome. This is a microscopic world where trillions of microorganisms affect each other and influence many aspects of overall health (such as your digestion, heart and brain). Too much sugar causes changes in the gut microbiome and can contribute to holes in the gut lining; which can allow toxins to ‘leak’ and affect our auto-immune system, and exacerbate gut inflammation.

Sugar also depletes our body’s nutrients, especially vitamin C. Vitamin C is present in the production of collagen, a protein which helps maintain and repair skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and teeth. Without good levels of vitamin C, the body has difficulty in healing (from wounds) and fighting infection. In the most extreme cases, a lack of vitamin C leads to scurvy.

A big deal for big business

Due to sugar’s negative effect on our auto-immune system, its consumption can also contribute to allergy issues such as hay-fever. We may buy hay-fever remedies from the pharmacist, but that’s merely treating the symptoms, not the cause (something the major pharmaceutical companies don’t necessarily make clear).

There’s no doubt sugar-based products make a lot of money for companies in the consumer food business. Factor this in alongside the role of pharmaceutical companies, and sugar is a big issue – and could even be called something of a ‘political football’. Funding into the effects of sugar can even be tricky for research scientists to secure, on occasions, because of pressure from external parties.

Everything in moderation

So, what can we do to manage our consumption of sugar, to help us lead a healthier life? The key would seem to be keeping blood sugar levels stable, so that it’s not about peaks and troughs (which can be brought on by gorging, for example).

And, of course, food supplements can help. Vitamin C is important for our health, while inositol can help regulate insulin in the body. L Glutamine can help repair damage in the intestines; supporting cell reproduction and enabling gut cells to regenerate more quickly.

As with many things in life, consuming sugar should be done in moderation, and something you should certainly keep an eye on. After all, looking after your body helps to make life sweeter!