What is Refined Sugar? What are the harms

by Abbas Jahangir · June 30, 2021

Sugar is found naturally in fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, cereals and nuts. Natural sugars are processed through a series of processes for commercial use to produce foods containing refined sugar. Powdered or cubed sugar, which we know as table sugar, and corn syrups containing fructose are among the examples of refined sugar.

The common table sugar we use is actually sucrose (sucrose) and is produced by processing the natural sugar from sugar cane or sugar beet plants.

Excess consumption of refined sugar, especially increasing the obesity rate, can cause many harms to the body. In order to stay away from refined sugar, which can be found in different forms in many packaged foods, it is necessary to eat as naturally as possible.

What is Refined Sugar?

The answer to the question of what refined sugar means can be given by explaining what the most well-known table sugar is.
Naturally, the juice of plants containing sugar is extracted and crystallized by special methods, and thus refined sugar is obtained.
Corn syrup is also refined sugar and its other name is HFSC. Especially the use of genetically modified corn can make the situation even riskier. The corn is first processed to obtain starch, then syrup is formed. Enzymes are added as additives to make the syrup sweeter by increasing fructose.
The most commonly used syrup type is HFCS 55, which contains 42% glucose. The fructose density of this syrup is almost the same as table sugar.

What are the Harms of Refined Sugar?

Among the harms of refined sugar, we can count that it accelerates weight gain. It can cause sudden feelings of hunger, as it has the ability to suddenly lower blood sugar after suddenly raising it.
If you ask why refined sugar is harmful, it is because it does not have the same effect as natural sugar. Although foods rich in refined sugar give energy suddenly, it causes the energy to decrease in a short time at this rate. Therefore, it can lead to chronic fatigue.
If you consume too much refined sugar, it can store in your liver, which can lead to fatty liver.
It is known that telomeres, which are the small structures in the body that delay cell aging, can be damaged by the consumption of refined sugar.
Refined sugar, which causes uneven ups and downs of blood sugar, fluctuates energy and feelings along with body energy. This can increase the risk of depression.
Many experts say that refined sugar is harmful to heart health and balanced cholesterol.
It is among the factors that increase the risk of heart attack.
Vitamins and minerals are very important in increasing body resistance. Since refined sugar slows down the absorption of vitamins and minerals, it indirectly causes the immune system to weaken.
Excess consumption of refined sugar makes it difficult for the body to use water. Although this affects the whole body, it can cause skin problems first of all.

What’s in Refined Sugar?

When refined sugar is used mostly as table sugar, it can be added to meals and desserts.
There is plenty of refined sugar, especially in ready-made jams and marmalades. The aim here is to ensure that the food remains renewable for a long time.
Refined sugar can also be used in bread leavening.
Most instant drinks also contain refined sugar.
The additional product that sweetens ready-made ice creams is refined sugar.
Canned foods, sauces, and many packaged foods contain refined sugar.
Even baby foods can contain sugar. Especially for children’s health, the content parts of the content packages should be carefully examined.

8 Reasons to Quit Refined Sugar

1) Protecting Skin Health

If you don’t want to age prematurely, one of the things you can do is give up refined sugar.
Refined sugar comes into play in skin regeneration and causes the system to slow down.

2) Being More Energetic

We see that everyone living in big cities is exhausted and sluggish at the end of the day.
There are many reasons for this, but one of them is sugar consumption.
Although sugar suddenly increases energy, it decreases it at the same speed and this causes a feeling of sluggishness.

3) Preventing Abdominal Fatigue

Experts look at the fat around the abdominal region the most for a healthy body.
Sugar is harmful to health as it accelerates the lubrication of this region.

4) Maintaining Ideal Weight

In order to stay at the ideal weight by eating a balanced and healthy diet, the thing you need to keep as far from your diet as possible is refined sugar.
In addition, as sugar consumption decreases, insulin also stabilizes, which ensures that the body is generally healthy and balanced.

5) Fighting Type 2 Diabetes

One of the important reasons that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes is being overweight.
Refined sugar directly increases the risk of diabetes, as it facilitates excess weight gain.

6) A Stronger Heart

Any excess sugar consumed causes the heart and blood circulation system to deteriorate.
If you want to have a stronger heart, take sugar naturally and avoid extra refined sugar.

7) Healthy Teeth

Too much sugar consumption for dental health, unfortunately, has bad results.
If you do not take care of your teeth and do not regularly clean your mouth, tooth decay and dental problems become inevitable.

8) Healthy Growth in Children

Sugar is on the list of things to avoid especially for the protection of children’s health, as it both disrupts the balance of insulin and negatively affects growth hormones.

What to Use Instead of Refined Sugar?

If you want to give up refined sugar, you don’t have to give up sweets. There are also natural sweeteners that can be used instead of sugar.
Honey is among the most commonly used sweeteners in place of sugar. Especially using raw and natural honey means consuming the healthiest kind of honey. If you want to add honey to hot drinks, waiting for the drink to warm up a bit will allow you to benefit better from the content of honey.
Stevia from South America is among the natural sweeteners. There may be those who prefer stevia capsules instead of using artificial sweeteners because it is calorie-free and natural.
Dates are among the sweeteners that are frequently used instead of sugar in our culture. Dates, which are used instead of sugar in desserts, both make the dessert healthier and create different flavors with the special aroma of the date.
It is not surprising that the use of coconut sugar is increasing, as many products such as flour and milk obtained from coconuts are becoming more and more common. You can also try coconut sugar instead of refined sugar.
Maple syrup is one of the alternatives that can be used instead of refined sugar due to its taste and healing structure that strengthens the immune system. Since it is heat resistant, you can add it to hot meals, desserts and drinks.
Molasses is among the sweeteners that are frequently used instead of sugar in our culture. Although there are experts who say that its benefit is considerably reduced according to its production, there are also many experts who defend the benefits of natural molasses. It is stated that molasses, which has been preferred especially in desserts for years, is also good for anemia.