Sugar, as sweet as it tastes, is equally detrimental to health. It is commonly used in our kitchens and even in religious ceremonies. Excessive sugar consumption is not just bad for the palate, but also harmful to our health.
Sugar production from sugarcane began in India approximately 2,500 years ago, eventually spreading globally via China, West Africa, and Brazil. Initially, it was expensive and a luxury item, even given as a gift like gold or silver. As production increased worldwide, it became accessible to the general public.
In 1885, sugar consumption was promoted through Coca-Cola, which was falsely advertised as a 'Brain Tonic.' Sugar companies aggressively promoted the idea that sugar (glucose) provides essential body energy, implying that the more you consume, the better. However, despite the temporary energy boost, sugar's long-term effects on human health are adverse.
In 1928, the "sugar is healthy" advertising campaign began, falsely claiming that adding sugar to drinks in summer and winter boosts immunity. This campaign led to increased sugar consumption and rising obesity in America. Sugar companies even paid researchers and health professionals to publish favorable findings. However, public health experts began to speak out against sugar. Global communities only started trusting these experts when America experienced a rise in diabetes, fatty liver disease, constipation, ulcers, gastritis, and obesity in the 20th century.
In 2002, public health experts suggested the World Health Organization (WHO) speak out about reducing sugar intake due to its links to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The WHO then advised that sugar should account for no more than 10% of our daily calorie intake. Major American sugar producers reacted angrily, calling the WHO's statement a "public illusion" and threatening to cut financial aid to the WHO by lobbying the US Senate. These companies insisted that up to 25% of daily calories could safely come from sugar, a claim rejected by public health experts who continued their efforts to educate the public about the risks of high sugar consumption.
Dr. John Yudkin published his research book, Pure, White and Deadly, in 1972, detailing sugar's harmful effects. His work was dismissed by American sugar and sweet-substance companies as mere rumor. Scientific studies, including those on mice, have long proven sugar's link to heart disease, memory loss, and rheumatism, confirming that white sugar, in particular, is a type of slow poison. Contrary to popular belief, brown sugar is not significantly healthier than white sugar.
Due to changes in traditional eating habits, sugar consumption is excessive. We consume sugar from morning till night in various forms like tea, milk, cakes, biscuits, bread, and especially during festivals. High sugar intake in children's snacks is a major cause of dental problems in Nepali children. Sugar is a key factor contributing to high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, yet public awareness remains low.
Though the WHO recommended in 2014 that adults consume no more than five teaspoons and children no more than three teaspoons of sugar daily, current consumption is much higher. Sugar is hidden in non-sweet-tasting foods like sauces, biscuits, noodles, packaged meat, soups, and even so-called healthy packaged snacks (like muesli, cornflakes). Sweet beverages like Horlicks, Bournvita, Viva, lassi, Coke, Fanta, Pepsi, Dew, Merinda, Frooti, and sherbet also contain excessive sugar.
Sugar damages tooth enamel, causing cavities. Parents are often unaware of the harm caused by sweet substances in baby food and bottled drinks. In the context of Nepal, traditional sweets like mithai, gundpak, pushtakari, cake, ice cream, sel, and malpuwa also contain large amounts of sugar.
One liter of soft drink contains an average of 14 teaspoons of sugar, a fact often overlooked. The excessive sugar, even if not overly sweet to the taste, adversely affects health. Sugar exists in various forms like maltose, fructose, and lactose. Some fruit packages labeled "sugar-free" may still contain sugar in these alternative forms, leading to unknowing consumption.
Corn-derived sweeteners used in chocolate and cookies raise bad cholesterol, which builds up on artery walls, leading to hardening and narrowing. This restricts blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart muscles, causing them to die and leading to a heart attack.
Excess sugar converts to fat, obstructing the heart and blood vessels. According to Senior Cardiologist Dr. Abani Bhushan Upadhyaya, excessive sweets increase the risk of diabetes. Any form of sweetener—be it sugar, jaggery, "sugar-free" coke, juice, or honey—is still a sweet substance (sugar). If the quantity is high, it will cause harm. Products labeled "sugar-free" are often not truly sugar-free. Sweeteners like saccharin in tea or other drinks are even more dangerous and harmful to the heart.
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