5 Myths about Sugar

 

Both vilified and coveted, our relationship with sugar can be tricky. It sometimes tastes so delicious that we can’t stop eating it, but we’re also told it’s linked to a variety of health risks. Before cutting it out from your diet, consider some of these myths:

 

Myth #1: Sugar is addictive

There isn’t a single food that is truly addictive. Unlike drugs, food (including sweet treats) is necessary to our survival, and we don’t experience horrendous withdrawal symptoms when we give up sugar. While sugar certainly elicits pleasure and dopamine that make it difficult to stop eating, there are ways to mitigate our consumption.

 

Myth #2: Entirely cutting out sugar is the only way to limit consumption

Evolution has taught us that if food is scarce, we need to load up on it since we don’t know when we will get it again. The same goes for sugar, so get comfortable with giving yourself unconditional permission to have a small treat whenever you want it. You may overdo it in the beginning, but eventually sugar’s appeal will diminish, especially if you eat enough protein, fat, and fibre in the day.

 

Myth #3: Some types of sugar are better than others

Whether you eat whole grain bread, chocolate, fruit, table sugar, maple syrup, or vegetables, all carbs are sugar and sugar is converted into glucose, the body’s main energy source. While some carbs are more nutrient dense than others, they all provide the same energy.

 

Myth #4: Sugar causes diabetes and heart disease

Health and chronic diseases cannot be simplified to one root cause, such as sugar. Instead, health is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, diet, environment, income, trauma/stress, weight stigma, and education, to name a few. If a person is consuming a high-risk amount of sugar (research suggests the people in the highest quintile of sugar consumption eat the equivalent of 7.5 candy bars every day), there are probably other issues in their life causing them to cope with food.

 

Myth #5: Sugar is empty calories

We’ve established that all carbs are sugar, but not all carbs are created equally. While fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are a better source of carbs that should comprise the majority of your intake, baked goods, candy, chocolate, and desserts all still deserve a spot at the table. The latter are not nutrient dense, but these foods are often consumed during celebrations, holidays, on good days, and on bad days. We’ve been taught since birth that food brings comfort, and while it shouldn’t be our only means of celebrating and coping, it still serves a purpose.