Is there anything wrong with not eating sugar?

 Is there anything wrong with not eating sugar?

From morning tea to sweets. Sugar adds sweetness not only to our food, but also to our lives. Without this sugar, we would not be able to eat foods like sweets, chocolate, cakes or soft drinks. But where did this sugar come from and how did it reach our kitchen?

Sugar and then brown sugar were first made in India from sugarcane juice. Historical books and various reports from India and abroad provide evidence of this. According to a research report titled ‘A History of Sugar: The Food Nobody Needs, But Everyone Craves’ published by the British media outlet network ‘The Conversation’, sugar was made in India around 2,500 years ago, i.e. 500 BC.

From here, the technology to make it spread eastwards to China and reached the Middle East via Iran. In the first century, the historian Pliny the Elder, who wrote the encyclopedia ‘Naturalis Historia’, said that Indian sugar was better than sugar made in Arabia.

It is said that sugar first reached Central Asia outside India through Arab traders in the 7th century, where it was widely used. Egyptian artisans discovered a way to make granulated white sugar, sugar candy nuggets and patatas from brown sugar, and it reached Europe in the 11th century. Most people around the world were unaware of its taste until Portuguese traders established the first sugar colony in the Caribbean in 1505.

During the Mughal period, the technology to convert sugar into white, granulated sugar reached India from China, which is why it is called ‘sugar’ here. The earliest record of the establishment of the first sugar mill in India is in 1610. Before the 16th century, sugar was so valuable that only rulers and big businessmen could afford it. During this time, it was also called ‘white gold’. During the era of imperial expansion and trade, sugar gradually reached the common people.

How is sugar made?

To make sugar, first the sugarcane must be harvested after it has ripened. Then the sugarcane must be cut into small pieces. The sugarcane that has been cut must be washed clean and the juice extracted from it. Then it is cleaned by dissolving it in lime and sulfur. This removes dirt and dirt. Then it is cooked in various stages to make sugar grains.

Why do doctors say that it is okay to not eat sugar?

According to nutritionist Pratima Sen KC, sugar is eaten for its sweet taste. ‘It is a source of carbohydrates. Like the grains we eat, rice and wheat are also sources of carbohydrates, and when we eat these foods, they are also converted into sugar. Therefore, since the sugar our body needs is also obtained from other foods, doctors say that it is okay to not eat extra sugar,’ she says.

Eating sweet foods makes us happy and our brains happy too. We want to eat the same food again and again. Excessive consumption of sugar increases the body’s glucose level, says KC.

‘Sugar is high in carbohydrates. If we eat too many carbohydrates daily, if the body cannot use them, they will be stored as fat and obesity will increase,’ she says, ‘Also, consuming too much sugar increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.’

How much sugar is appropriate?

According to the US Dietary Guidelines, if we eat 2,000 calories a day, it is appropriate to consume only 10 percent of that additional sugar. But since we get our sugar from various foods, it does not make much difference even if we do not eat sugar directly, says Casey.

What can be eaten as an alternative to sugar?

Some people use cornstarch and sugar as an alternative to sugar. But this is not a good option because cornstarch and sugar have the same amount of carbohydrates and glycemic index, says Casey.

"It is better not to use corn and sugar as a substitute for sugar," she says. "We can use natural sugar instead. For example, fruits, nuts, raisins, etc. are sources of natural sugar."