Marta Gubern, Luc Lombard, Carolina López, Miguel Martí 1rbatxD
Sugar: Human’s sweet enemy
What are the consequences of eating too much sugar? Are we really aware of how much sugar
we consume throughout the day? These questions and many more are answered in this
fascinating and enthralling BBC’s documentary entitled “The truth about sugar”. Following the
journey of Cara Patterson, Rick Shabilla, Audrey Cannon and Simon Gallagher in their attempt
to break free from added sugars and plunge into an unknown world of healthy eating habits, we
discover, with great surprise, the reality hidden behind the sweetness of sugar.
From our point of view, we believe that this documentary outstands in reliability as it
masterfully combines the science and prove with the daily life, including several real cases.
Indeed, to our way of thinking, it represents a notable source of information, as topics such as
why some of us have more of a sweet tooth than others, which sugars you can enjoy guilt-free
and what effect sugary drinks have on the appetite, are constantly debated nowadays, although
not many people truly cognize its scientific aspect. As we see it, understanding the effects and
consequences sugar has in our body is essential since it may help countless people, who
consider themselves as prisoners of sugar, to start fretting about their heath and consider the
idea of making a chance, not only in their diets, but also and more important, in their lifestyle.
Firstly, sugar and consequently obesity has a dreadful impact on your heart. In fact, a study
published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Hu and his colleagues found an association
between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of the
15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher
risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their
calories as added sugar. Type 2 diabetes is as well attributed to added sugar intake. Two large
studies in the 1990s found that women who consumed more than one soft drink or fruit juice per
day were twice as likely to develop diabetes as those who rarely did so.
Even though sugar has, nowadays, become a public health enemy we tend to turn to him
whenever we can, the reason being our brain sees sugar as a reward. As a consequence, if we eat
it constantly, we’re reinforcing that recompense, which can make it tough to break the habit. As
it is well known, the rate of obesity is increasing worldwide, and the increase has been
particularly dramatic in young people, owing to the fact that teenagers are particularly drawn to
rewards, including eating tasty foods high in fat and sugar. The American Heart Association
advises men to get no more than 37.5 grams from added sugar per day and women no more than
25 grams. However, the 14-18 years olds consume 99,4 grams of added sugar daily, which
represents nearly the triple of the recommended amount.
To conclude, as it is claimed in the documentary, we don't really have to give up sweetness. A
fantastic alternative to added sugars is, for example, hole pieces of fruit and oatmeal. Besides,
we can observe that small and simple changes in our diet are easier to keep than drastic actions.
Start by eating more fruits and vegetables, drink extra water, check food labels cut out a little bit
of sugar each week and you'll be surprised at how little you miss it.
Distribution of sugar consume in Spain