What Are the Benefits of Sugars?

Sugars have gotten an extremely bad rap in recent years and many health-conscious people have attempted to remove them completely from their diets. Sugars are not healthy when taken in excess, just like any food or drink. There are still some health benefits to having a small amount of sugar, and there are other benefits that sugar provides, as well.

Energy

• Sugars are the source of energy for the human body. When you take in a carbohydrate, whether complex or simple, it is broken down into molecules of glucose, fructose or other simple sugars and used in the process of providing your body with energy. Avoiding all sugars in diets like the Atkins Diet can cause the body to have below average energy and a lack of balance. Too much sugar and your body will store the extra energy as fat. Some athletes use products like dextrose tablets, which provide a quick burst of energy in the form of sugar.

Muscle Tissue

• When the human body creates muscle, it builds up a tissue that consists of glycogen, which is essentially glucose and water. As long as the body receives an adequate supply of sugars, this muscle tissue is left alone and possibly even builds up. If there is not enough sugar, the body breaks down the muscle tissue to release the glucose molecules in glycogen. This is one of the reasons that low-carbohydrate diets cause a great deal of weight loss in the first few weeks. The body breaks down the glycogen in your body, which releases water stored in the muscles.

Long-term Understanding

• There are many artificial sweeteners on the market that act as a replacement for sugar. People are aware of negative health effects, such as obesity and blood-sugar conditions, caused by long-term over-consumption of sugar, but there has been little research about the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners. Sugar has its drawbacks, but there is more known about how the product will and will not affect the body.

Taste and Preservation

• Sugar is used to improve the taste of many different products. The sweet taste of sugar makes baked goods taste better and it adds flavor and balances acid content in condiments, vinegar and tomato-based products. Sugar is used as a bulking agent in ice cream and a preservative in fruits and jams.

Other Uses

• Sugar has many potential uses inside the home. Sugar can extend the life of flowers when added to the water in a vase. Likewise, sugar can improve the health of outdoor plants. Sugar is used as bait for insect traps when mixed with other substances like baking powder or pepper. Sprinkling sugar on a hot, freshly baked cake keeps it fresher longer.