Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: Handycandy.co.uk Don't indulge in TOO much candy.

Media Credit: Flickr.com Not as unhealthy as you thought.

There aren't too many of us that don't like sugar or an occasional sweet snack. But most of the time, we try to stray away from them because they have been written off as being unhealthy.

Our false beliefs have even led to telling children and others that too much candy or sweets will cause hyperactivity or cavities. In reality, this is wrong.

Some studies have been performed in effort to validate this myth. However, no evidence has proven it true.

In one study, children were randomly given foods with artificial sweeteners, and foods with natural sugar. The children were then placed in a room unknowingly monitored by researchers who knew which child was given which type of sugar. The Researchers were not able to distinguish which kids had artificial or naturally sugared foods.

So why does it appear that kids get hyperactive, wild, and out of control when they eat too much candy? The affect these kids are getting from candy is from the caffeine.

Caffeine is found in chocolate and all high energy drinks such as Red Bull. Caffeine gives you a boost that keeps you awake and increases your energy.

As far as cavities go, sugars are not the primary contributors. Cavities are formed when normal acids aren't able to break down starchy and sweet foods that remain on the teeth. Chips, breadsticks, cereals, and even dried fruit such as raisins prolong acid production increasing the rate of forming a cavity. So don't be worried about sweets giving you a cavity, just make sure to brush and floss regularly after any snack or meal.

Sweets won't give you diabetes either. For a long time now, many people have said, 'don't eat too much sugar or you'll get diabetes.' The disease is not caused by an increase or decrease of sugar, even though this is what helps regulate a diabetic person's glucose (sugar) level.

Diabetes is caused by the body not being able to produce enough insulin or it is unable to properly use the insulin that is produced. Other factors may include the possibility of genetics, however it is not clear what else may lead to diabetes. Still, the possibility of sugar being a factor has been ruled out.

Even though it may appear that if you eat too much sugar you will gain weight, this isn't true either. Weight gain is caused by taking in more calories than what is used by your body for energy. In other words, you gain weight by eating too many calories compared to how many calories you burn off.

Consuming sugar is much healthier than consuming fats because sugar is used and needed for energy while fat is stored in your cells for later use. So even though fruits are high in sugar, it isn't stored as fat so they shouldn't be avoided like some nutritionists have instructed.

You may have also been led to believe that white sugar is bleached and therefore it is less healthy than brown sugar. So what is true about this and what is false? They're both false. White sugar is not chemically altered or bleached. Sugar naturally has molasses which gives it a brown color. Molasses is removed from the sugar with water and a tool that helps in the separation process giving it its white color.

Therefore, brown sugar and white sugar have the same nutritional values since no chemical processes are used in refining them. The other many differences you will find is the taste, color, and texture.

As good as either one of those sugars may taste, it isn't true that you can be addicted to sugar. Sometimes it may seem as if you are, but the truth is, you simply have a greater desire for sugar.

Remember, addiction is not a craving; it is a physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance.

Another extreme myth about sugar is that it leads to heart disease. Some risk factors that lead to heart disease include one's family history, being overweight, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. None of these factors have any correlation with sugar.

The best correlation that can be made about sugar is that it is a healthy part of a diet. Our cells live off of energy that carbohydrates, including sugar, provide. Without sugar, we wouldn't be able to function as we normally would in our daily lives.

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