Sugar has been blamed as the cause of everything from obesity to cancer and many things in between. The fact is there’s nothing inherently wrong with sugar; our brains and nervous systems rely almost entirely on sugar for energy. Sugar is a molecule comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Like all compounds made from CHO, sugar is a carbohydrate. The problem with sugar is that these days it’s added to everything from fruit juice to pasta sauce.
Myth 1: Sugar causes hyperactivity
Sugar has been studied extensively in relation to hyperactivity, and this myth has been solidly disproved. The thing is, people often consume sugar at celebrations or events where they’re stimulated by a lot of other things going on, so they’re actually just excited, not high on sugar. This belief is a hard one to shake, but it could all come down to a mind game.
Myth 2: Brown sugar is healthier than white sugar
Brown sugar is actually just white sugar with molasses added back into it. It does contain very tiny amounts of some minerals due to the molasses content, but the nutritional difference between brown sugar and white sugar is a moot point.
Myth 3: Sugar-free is healthier
Are we talking sugar-free because this item has actually been made without sugar? Then yes. But if we’re talking sugar-free because an artificial sweetener has been used instead of sugar, then hold up. As many of the physiological reactions to sweeteners begin with taste receptors in the mouth, even ‘natural’ no or low-calorie sweeteners like stevia and xylitol are outside of my comfort zone. The reality is there is no magic bullet, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
