Evolutionarily, the sensation of sweetness is associated with safety, benefits, and security. After eating sweet foods, the same brain parts are activated as after consuming certain drugs or alcohol. Sugar affects the taste buds on the tongue responsible for the perception of sweet taste, which stimulates the brain to produce dopamine actively, often called the happiness hormone. The effect of joy lasts for a short time compared to the adverse effects sugar causes in the human body. There is an opinion that artificial sugar is less harmful to humans, and its consumption can even be beneficial. However, both regular and artificial sugar are harmful, and their consumption should be strictly limited.
Firstly, it is significant t discuss why sugar should be considered a toxic substance. The positive emotions received from sugar last for a short time, after which the brain requires stimulation again. Thus, the person becomes addicted and uncontrollably eats new portions of sweets to restore the usual level of dopamine, which carries a sense of peace and pleasure (Kubala). Weight gain is the first alarm signal that occurs with excessive sugar consumption. However, if weight gain does not occur, it can be even more dangerous as one may miss the seemingly invisible harm caused to the body.
While consuming sugar, a person can get all the necessary calories but lacks protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. Essential amino acids are involved in numerous biochemical processes in the body. Their deficiency leads to a decrease in immunity, memory and performance (Kubala). A person may always feel tired and have difficulty concentrating, and the main reason for this is the replacement of valuable substances with sugar. When sugar is consumed it interacts with the bacteria within the plaque to produce acid, and it slowly dissolves the enamel creating holes or cavities in the teeth (Sugars and Tooth Decay). Moreover, when a person constantly overeats sweets, blood glucose levels rise, and the pancreas, which secretes insulin, works at full stretch.
Nevertheless, sugar is a carbohydrate that the body converts into glucose and uses for energy. At the same time, artificial sugar is a food additive that duplicates the effect on taste but usually contains less dietary energy. While much research considers some sugar substitutes harmful, others suggest they are suitable for human consumption if consumed within certain limits, defined per kilogram of body weight (Strawbridge). Thus, even those who monitor their consumption of simple sugars and replace them with artificial sweeteners are unaware that these sweet inventions can also negatively impact health. Nutritionists have reason to believe that giving up sugar and switching to low-calorie sweeteners is not a guarantee of losing 0.5 kilograms per week but only of gaining weight at a slower pace (Strawbridge). Artificial sweeteners are not just sugar substitutes but chemicals that affect the enteric brain axis.
Furthermore, the numerous colonies of gut bacteria are an essential part of the immune system, helping to maintain metabolism and human health, including functions similar to other endocrine organs. Therefore, those who consume sugar substitutes need to remember that these sweet substances negatively affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota, thereby changing the habitual metabolism for the worse (Strawbridge). Moreover, replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners adversely affects the brain’s cognitive functions and causes an unquenchable thirst.
Thus, artificial sweeteners should not be treated as healthy or safe food additives and even less as a means to lose weight. Both regular sugar and artificial sugar, in their way, cause adverse reactions in anyone’s body. It does not mean that it is necessary to abandon their use at one moment, but the intake rules should be clearly observed and regulated. It is necessary to approach the issue of sugar consumption rationally because it can affect not only the weight but, correspondingly, the functioning of all organs in the body.
Works Cited
Kubala, Jillian. “11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You.” Healthline, Web.
Strawbridge, Holly. “Artificial Sweeteners: Sugar-Free, But at What Cost.” Harvard Health Blog, Web.
“Sugars and Tooth Decay.” Action on Sugar, Web.