The content of toxic elements and radionuclides in white sugar should not exceed the standards established in the Russian Federation SanPiN 2.3.2.1078-2001 "Hygienic requirements for safety and nutritional value of food products" (Appendix 1).

 

 

The content of sulfur dioxide and iron admixtures should not exceed the following standards

Advantage 1

  Sugar as a carbohydrate plays an extremely important role, being the main source of easily utilized energy for humans necessary for the vital activity of all cells of tissues and organs, especially the brain, heart, muscles. Sugar is completely absorbed by the human body and 4 kcal of energy is formed during the oxidation of 1 g of sucrose.

   The main function of sucrose in the body is the accumulation and production of energy, neutralization and removal of undesirable substances, regulation of fat and protein metabolism.

  Rational daily consumption of sugar in accordance with the physiological norms should be considered one of the natural elements of a healthy lifestyle.

Advantage 2

  Almost absolute safety, because sugar is a highly purified product that does not contain GMOs, has natural properties and purity, unattainable for many other sweet substances and foods. Sugar, unlike fructose and artificial sweeteners, does not reduce the diversity of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, does not violate the metabolic processes in the body and with proper consumption does not lead to obesity.

   For this reason, companies with a global brand prefer to use white sugar, rather than other sugar substitutes, in the production of soft drinks.

 Sugar refers to products with an average glycemic index (GI = 69-70), reflecting at what speed the carbohydrate-containing product is broken down in the body and converted into glucose (for pure glucose, GI = 100). Consumption of products with high GI causes a strong and abrupt load on the pancreas, burdening it intensively to produce the hormone insulin necessary for lowering blood sugar and for converting excess glucose into fat as an energy reserve of the body. For example, you can compare the GIs of the following products: mashed potatoes (90), rice porridge (90), white bread (85), beer (110), corn syrup (115).

Advantage 3

   Sugar has a pure sweet taste, without foreign taste and smell, both in dry sugar and in its aqueous solution.

Advantage 4

 Sugar is an important structural component of the vast majority of confectionery and fruit jelly. It is a mass filler and provides the texture of dairy desserts, ice cream, spreads and other products, both on fruit and fat-based, and also acts as a preservative agent for various products from fruits and berries - confitures, jams, jelly.

   The microorganisms that present in the products need water to grow. They absorb water through the outer layer of the cell. If the concentration of sugar in the food rises to a certain level, all the water is retained in sugar. This reduces the amount of water available to microorganisms, thus preventing their growth, due to which the shelf life of products is extended.

Advantage 5

     An important property of sugar is that it can enhance the taste and aroma above and below the threshold value of sweetness. For example, a small amount of sugar can enhance the sour or bitter taste of foods such as tomato sauce.

Sugar can give many foods an appetizing color. This is due to caramelization (Maillard reaction).

  Caramelization occurs when the sugar is heated, resulting in a brown substance called caramel. This substance as a food coloring is used in soft drinks, beer, confectionery products, soups and sauces.

    The Maillard reaction (the reaction between sugar and amino acid) leads to the darkening of some products, such as bread, coffee, desserts and cakes, and the appearance of typical taste, the smell of cooked food.

Advantage 6

   Technological and consumer properties that increase the efficiency of use:

1. The stability of taste during long-term storage;

   The shelf life of white sugar is set by the manufacturer. Recommended shelf life of white sugar:

 - crystallized - four years from date of manufacture;

 - lump - two years from the date of manufacture;

 - powdered sugar - one and a half years from the date of manufacture.

2. Stable properties in the light;

3. Lack of staining of water (drinks) with foreign color;

4. Stability when heated.

Advantage 7

The physiological value is determined by a positive effect on the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive and other human systems. Useful for daily consumption (according to recommended standards, sugar in all foods should be about 10% of the caloric content of the daily human diet, which is approximately 80 g / day for men and 60 g / day for women). Reducing sugar intake by healthy people leads to the development of signs of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose): weakness, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, chills, tremors, palpitations, headache. In more severe cases, double vision, confusion of thoughts, irritability, aggressiveness, and insomnia may occur.

Advantage 8

     Antidepressant properties - sugar intake in pure form or as part of confectionery products partially relieves stress, nervous tension, relieves depression (especially women). The sensation of sweet, perceived by the receptors of the tongue, tones the central nervous system. After taking sucrose in the composition of any product, the pancreas begins to produce insulin, which, in turn, leads to the release of serotonin, called the hormone of happiness.

Advantage 9

     The possibility of creating a wide range of other types of products based on white sugar for marketing promotion in the market: liquid sugar, inverted syrups, gelling sugar, wet and dry fondant sugar, instant sugar, soft sugar, yellow sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, enriched sugar with various additives of plant extracts, flavors, etc.

Sugar benefits

(*The term “sugar” is used hereinafter in the meaning of “glucose”. - Approx. ed.)

E.P.Antonova, endocrinologist

Low blood sugar, that is, a condition of the body in which the level of glucose in it is significantly reduced, can be observed in various diseases. On the one hand, thanks to numerous publications in the press, online publications, as well as television programs on medicine, most people have learned quite well that "high blood sugar is bad." On the other hand, a persistent decrease in the concentration of glucose in blood plasma and tissues (hypoglycemia) can also pose a serious threat to health and even life.

Low blood sugar

When it comes to the level of sugar in the blood, it should be understood that in this case it is not sucrose (which is commonly called sugar in everyday life), but one of its cleavage products in the digestive organs - glucose. (In addition to glucose, as a result of the rapid process of conversion of sucrose in the gastrointestinal tract, fructose is also formed, which, like glucose, is a simple saccharide).
Glucose (C6H12O6) plays an extremely important role in the metaphysism of the human body, including brain cells - therefore, any deviation of its level upward or downward can have serious negative consequences. In some cases, severe health effects can occur even with short-term hypoglycemia, especially if the decrease in blood sugar occurs very quickly.

Low blood sugar: causes

Lowering blood sugar levels can be both a physiological phenomenon (that is, observed in healthy people) and pathological, which is associated with the presence of certain diseases. Among the main causes of hypoglycemia in healthy people are several main:

- limited caloric intake (or simply malnutrition), including an intentional strict diet - for example, with the aim of fast weight loss;
- increased carbohydrate intake. In this case, excessive consumption of sweets (candy, confectionery, carbonated drinks with sugar), pastry baking. As well as foods with a high glycemic index (for example, alcoholic beverages such as beer, fortified and dessert wines) first leads to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, followed by a sharp drop in this indicator;
- intervals between meals over 8 hours;
- great physical exertion - for example, professional athletes. In this case, there is a shortage of energy, which is eliminated by the body through internal "reserves" - the conversion of glycogen of the liver and skeletal muscles into glucose as a result of complex chemical reactions.

The cause of low blood sugar can also be various diseases and pathological conditions:
- hypoglycemia is often observed in people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, due to an overdose of insulin or drugs to lower blood sugar;
- low blood sugar can be caused by diseases of the liver, kidneys and adrenal glands;
-  in some cases (fortunately rare), hypoglycemia can be a symptom of insulinoma, a special kind of tumor whose cells are capable of producing insulin.

Low blood sugar: symptoms in an adult

Most often, low blood sugar is accompanied by such symptoms:
- the appearance of a feeling of weakness in the whole body, great tiredness;

- tremor (shiver) in the limbs, their numbness;

- cardiopalmus;

- irritability, nervousness;

- dizziness;

- increased sweating;

- darkening in the eyes;

- incoordination;

- feeling of strong hunger.

All these symptoms of low blood sugar can occur even in a motionlessly sitting or sleeping person — they are related to the fact that the brain that needs glucose, no less muscle, starts to suffer from its deficiency. If at this stage of the development of hypoglycemia the patient does not inject glucose into the body (preferably in a rapidly digestible form: sugar, honey, sweets, cakes, etc.), his condition may worsen. A further reduction in blood sugar levels can lead to the emergence of such severe

symptoms like:
- confusion;

- incoherent speech;

- convulsive seizures.

Low blood sugar can cause a stroke and / or coma, which often leads to death.

Blood sugar fell: symptoms

The threshold for lowering blood sugar levels at which symptoms of hypoglycemia develop is individual — some people experience normal health even when the level of glucose in the blood plasma is below 2.2 mmol/l, and for others the indicator may be 3.0 mmol/l, in which they are able to lose consciousness and fall into a coma. People with type 1 diabetes measure their blood sugar levels several times a day using a portable blood glucose meter. For those who do not use such a device and often do not even suspect the presence of diabetes (as a rule, these are adults who developed type 2 diabetes in adulthood), the appearance of symptoms should be a reason for alertness and a visit to an endocrinologist. which they had not previously observed:
- unexpected increase in pulse rate even at rest;

- bouts of dizziness;

- Severe sweating, which is observed in the absence of physical activity;

- bouts of weakness;

- feeling of heaviness and tiredness in the legs;

- trembling hands;

- bouts of unexplained fear;

- visual impairment;

- inability to concentrate.

Sharp decrease in blood sugar: symptoms

A sharp decrease in blood sugar is usually characteristic of patients with type 1 diabetes, who are forced to inject insulin daily with subcutaneous injections. In some cases, this is due to an overdose of insulin. However, a sharp decrease in blood sugar can also occur in patients with type 2 diabetes, who regularly take special drugs that stimulate insulin production by the pancreas (these are primarily meglitinide drugs and sulfonylurea derivatives).

The following symptoms may indicate a sharp decrease in blood sugar:

- blanching of the skin;

- trembling limbs;

- tachycardia (heart palpitations);

- restless behavior or vice versa - a slow response to events occurring around;

- aggressiveness;

- loss of ability to navigate in space.

Convulsions, confusion, hallucinations and delirium in a patient are a symptom of an approaching hypoglycemic coma, which can lead to brain swelling and death.

Low blood sugar

One can speak about low blood sugar in the case when plasma glucose concentration reaches 3.0–2.8 mmol/l. If the sugar level drops even more, a condition called hypoglycemia develops.

Sometimes hypoglycemia can also be observed in perfectly healthy people - for example, those who are accustomed to eating irregularly with long breaks between meals, as well as among athletes who subject themselves to gigantic physical exertion. Often, low blood sugar is observed in those who are trying to lose weight with the help of “extreme” diets, completely eliminating not only sugar but also carbohydrates from the diet. However, the most frequent decrease in plasma sugar level is observed in various diseases - and not only in insulin overdose in people with type 1 diabetes, but in certain diseases of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands and in such an oncologic disease as insulin.

Low blood sugar: symptoms in women

The symptoms of low blood sugar in women are in principle no different from the symptoms of this dangerous condition in men. When the level of sugar in the blood plasma of the females, they may experience:

- increased pulse, accompanied by a strong feeling of anxiety and inexplicable fear;

- visual impairment;

- dizziness;

- weakness and tremor of the limbs;

- the emergence of strong hunger;

- increased sweating.

Low blood sugar is often observed in pregnant women, especially in the first trimester. This is due to the fact that future mothers have a significant change in hormonal levels, which leads to an increase in the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin. As a result, the "utilization" of glucose by the tissues of the pregnant woman’s body is accelerated. In addition, glucose is needed and the body of the fetus. Unlike pregnant diabetes, reduced blood sugar in future mothers, as a rule, is not dangerous, but requires only a fractional diet — you often eat a little during the day.

Material prepared by publication:

http://www.health-ua.org/faq/endokrinologiya-saharnyjdiabet/406.html
Problems of healthy eating while eating carbohydrates

    Carbohydrates, of course, are on the list of harmful components of the diet, but they are indispensable nutrients for humans (that is, different tissues of the body require carbohydrates in all physiological states). If carbohydrates do not come from food in sufficiently large quantities, the required carbohydrate should be produced by the body from other sources. As in other aspects of food safety, the public concern about carbohydrates is not in full accordance with our knowledge of nutrition.

    Usually, three types of carbohydrates are distinguished: monosaccharides (for example, galactose, fructose, glucose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose), polysaccharides (digestible starch and dextrins, non-digestible cellulose).

    Absorbed carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. They participate in important metabolic processes, and also play a protective role in the most important organs. Carbohydrates are absorbed in the intestinal tract, where they are absorbed as simple sugars, converted into glycogen in the liver, used in energy and metabolic processes, or stored. Carbohydrates in the body exist mainly in the form of glycogen in the muscles, the rest is in the form of blood glucose and glycogen in the liver.

    Carbohydrates are especially important as a source of energy for muscle activity, the heat generated by energy metabolism helps to maintain body temperature. Fat and protein can also cover energy needs for muscle activity, but they are less effective for this purpose than carbohydrates, since energy is required to convert fat and protein into forms that are used by the body in such activities. With heavy and prolonged muscular work, carbohydrate stores may decrease, as a result of which fats and proteins break down in the body. In the absence of additional intake of carbohydrates, ketones (by-products of fat metabolism) accumulate in the blood. Carbohydrates are even more important for the heart muscle, which must function continuously. The heart muscle can take advantage of its own glycogen reserves and therefore, under normal conditions, there is no problem of hypoglycemia after eating. However, in violation of cardiac activity or heart disease, hypoglycemia can cause angina; therefore, high-carb therapy is used to treat both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.    

    The liver, performing in the body the most important function of detoxifying harmful substances, requires sufficient glycogen content, which is replaced and maintained at the required level by carbohydrate consumption. Thus, a sufficient intake of carbohydrates is necessary for the human body to maintain health. Glucuronic acid formed from carbohydrates can react in the liver with various chemicals, making them harmless. This reaction, for example, contributes to the regulation of the metabolism of steroid hormones and the elimination of toxic compounds, thereby preventing the harm caused by their increased content. Acetylation reactions, depending on the presence of carbohydrates, are also very important for the detoxification processes in the body.

    Another essential function of carbohydrates is the regulation of protein and fat metabolism. The use of protein to maintain and repair tissue depends on the presence of a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. If the carbohydrate content is insufficient, the amino acids decompose to form energy instead of performing their main function of building tissue. In the same way, the presence of a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in the liver is necessary to regulate the intensity of the breakdown of fat.

    Continuous intake of glucose is a crucial condition for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, and carbohydrates are the main source of this fuel. Unlike other tissues of the body, the nervous tissue does not contain a sufficient reserve of glycogen and therefore a source of glucose, which is formed by carbohydrates, is required. The importance of carbohydrates in this regard is illustrated by the sensitivity of the central nervous system to the hypoglycemic state and the irreversibility of damage that occurs if hypoglycemia lasts a long time.

 

Note: For pregnant women and nursing mothers, the energy requirement increases by 300 and 500 cal, respectively

Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Recommended Dietary Allo­wances, Ninth ed., National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C., 1980.

    The greatest amount of controversy surrounding carbohydrates is probably on the question of what their consumption should be. For carbohydrates, no quantitative daily requirement has been established. A normal diet that fully meets the energy needs of individuals contains a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. In the table the values ​​of energy consumption are given (total calories from proteins, fats and carbohydrates), recommended by the Council for food and nutrition. These calorie intake values ​​are determined based on the average height and mass of children and the desired mass of adults (from 18 to 34 years) depending on the average height. Admission of calories by adults ranges from ± 400 calories, and by children from 10 to 90%, which indicates a wide range of energy needs depending on physical activity and other factors inherent in various subpopulations

 

Chemical composition and energy value of sugary products

 

 

Legend for the table:

0 - This nutrient is missing

Tr - Trace

N - The content of this nutrient is significant, but there is no reliable information about its quantity.

() - Estimated value

Source: Chemical Composition and Energy Value of Foods: McCans and Widdawson Handbook / trans. from English 6th edition of the total. ed. Dr. med Sciences A.K. Baturin. - St. Petersburg.: Profession, 2006. - 416 p., Table.

 

Chemical composition and energy value of sugary products

 

Legend for the table:

0 - This nutrient is missing

Tr - Trace

N - The content of this nutrient is significant, but there is no reliable information about its quantity.

() - Estimated value

Source: Chemical Composition and Energy Value of Foods: McCans and Widdawson Handbook / trans. from English 6th edition of the total. ed. Dr. med Sciences A.K. Baturin. - St. Petersburg.: Profession, 2006. - 416 p., Table.