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The History of Sugar
When Alexander the Great invaded India in 327 B.C., his notes stated that “the inhabitants chewed an amazing reed that yielded a type of honey without the aid of bees.” Sugarcane spread to Persia and, later, Egypt by means of the Arabic invasions.
The use of sugar went to Europe due to the expanding sugarcane cultivation in the Mediterranean zone at the beginning of the 13th Century. In less than 200 years more, Christopher Columbus took pieces of sugarcane on his second trip to America and planted them for the first time in Santa Domingo of the New World. Already in the 16th Century, sugar was a staple product in commerce between Europe and producers in Brazil, Cuba and Mexico.
Later, sugarcane gradually appeared in various South American countries, including Paraguay –where such industry has operated for more than 100 years.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Ranching estimates sugarcane production at 70,000 hectares in the country. Of these, most cultivation centers around the areas of the main sugarcane mills and alcohol producers –which of course want to be near cultivation.
The Truth about Sugar
Sugar is vital to nutrition: Sugar is a source of energy for our body and contributes glucose, which possesses essential nutrients for the organs in our body such as the brain and muscles, and for the retina and the formation of red blood cells.
Sugar does not cause tooth decay: Tooth decay occurs due to various factors such as genetic transmission, hygiene and/or diet, and does not usually occur with appropriate dental care.
Sugar does not make you fat: There are no studies that prove the onset of obesity from sugar consumption. Sugar has four calories per gram while fat has nine. So, obesity comes less probably from sugar consumption.
You can lose weight without eliminating sugar consumption: Sugar is important for the body. The drastic reduction in sugar consumption can lead to problems such as weakness, trembling, mental dullness and, even, fainting and memory loss. Sugar gives a balanced diet a pleasant taste so it is an essential part of a weight-loss program.
“Light” products do not aid weight loss: The consumption of “light” foods for weight loss is not proven to be effective. These products contain ingredients that replace others because the new ones have less calories. This causes some people to believe they can eat more volume of sugarless foods than the normal volume of regular foods with sugar. It is more effective to control total calorie intake per day.
Sugar consumption does not cause diabetes: By eating sugar, its level in the blood rises. When there is sugar in blood, a hormone called insulin acts in the body to carry out the sugar through from the blood. Diabetes is the lack of insulin and does not occur due to the excess of sugar in a diet. A person with diabetes must regulate food portions and the types of carbohydrates consumed –including sugar—so the body can adequately control the sugar level in blood.
Sugar consumption is not associated with increased cholesterol in blood: The cholesterol level in blood relates to the consumption of saturated animal fats, not with that of sugar. Older adults should reduce their sugar intake as they generally have less physical activity –hence they require less energy. However, sweet and salty sensation of taste buds on the tongue decreases with age; this may lead to food disorders in aged persons. As well, older healthy adults should not eliminate sugar consumption.
Children and adolescents ought to consume sugar: Youth’s bodies demand energy for their continuous growth. Glucose enters cells and undergoes in them chain reactions that produce water and carbon dioxide and release energy in this process. Part of the energy becomes heat while the rest goes toward the development of body functions such as growth.
How to know how many teaspoons of sugar your food contains
The recommended sugar consumption per day is 12 teaspoons. In foods, sugar has been added. On food labeling, nutritional information indicates the total sugar content in grams, which divided by four gives the number of teaspoons.The benefits of sugar:
- Sugar is a food that is easily digested and assimilated in the body. It is the only carbohydrate that supplies immediate energy.
- Its pleasant sweet taste satisfies, so it favors the following of low-fat diets.
- It is recommended to select the type of sugar that fits the occasion: white sugar for liquids, brown sugar for home pastry, powered sugar for decorating sweet desserts: fruit, cakes and sweets