A bit too sweet!
Brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or agave nectar are not necessarily healthier substitutes for sugar.
PETALING JAYA: A diabetic patient with a wound on his toe started to take honey with the hope that it would heal faster.
He took two tablespoons, twice daily, but subsequently, his toe was amputated, said dietitian Mok Chu Zhen.
“It was not that taking honey led to the amputation, but that his overall blood glucose control was bad,” he said.
With the need to adopt a healthier habit, some have thought that taking non-white sugar would be a better, but this is a mistaken belief, he stated.
Are there different types or categories of sugars that people should be aware of?
Mok: According to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2010, there are various types of sugar, with no clear definition of its categorisation.
Sugar often refers to sucrose, which is derived from sugar cane. Sucrose is also found in honey and corn syrup.
There are other types of sugar which can be found in foods/beverages such as glucose, lactose and maltose.
What are the benefits? And what are the health risks if taken too much?
Mok: Sugar is considered an empty-calorie food. That means, it contains mostly calories but with no other or minimal nutrient content.
Excessive sugar intake may lead to overweight and obesity. A higher risk of dental caries and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are often associated with being overweight and obese.
Reducing weight can help reduce the risks and complications associated with those diseases.
Are brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and, or agave nectar healthier substitutes for sugar?
Mok: Different types of sugars give different taste to food and drink, and all will be broken down to three main monosaccharides – glucose, fructose and galactose. The end result – they are still providing extra calories if taken excessively.
Most people opt for brown sugar instead of white sugar, thinking that brown sugar contains less calories. This is not true.
There is not much difference in calorie content for white sugar and brown sugar.
One tablespoon of white sugar (15g) provides 59.7kcal, while one tablespoon of brown sugar (18g, which is heavier than white sugar) provides 63.5kcal.
Some say brown sugar contains more nutrients. That is true when compared with white sugar, but it is not high enough to provide any health benefits.
For example, just to get 2.7mg of iron, you would have to take 100g of brown sugar, which is equivalent of taking in 353kcal.
Honey is composed primarily of fructose and glucose but also contains fructo-oligosaccharides and many amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
It has antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and some other health benefits but it still contains calories (one tablespoon gives 58 calories).
Honey is generally safe for most but should not be given to infants aged less than one as it might cause infant botulism.
Should white processed sugar be avoided?
Mok: There is no need to avoid white sugar, but the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2010 recommends the consumption of food and beverages low in sugar.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends both adults and children to reduce the intake of free sugar to less than 10% of total energy intake.
In other words, a healthy 60kg adult may require 1,800Kcal calorie intake every day. Thus, the maximum amount of sugar intake should not be more than 180kcal, or equivalent to three tablespoons (45g) of sugar.
However, WHO suggests a further reduction of the intake of free sugars to below 5% of total energy intake in order to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, which translates into 1.5 tablespoon (22.5g) daily.
Note that our most famous drink in the mamak stall, a glass of teh tarik, contains 1.7 tablespoons of sugar.
Why do some people feel alert after drinking a glass of pure fresh fruit juice but feel tired after taking a sweet or eat a bowl of rice? Do the type of sugars in them make the difference?
Mok: There is no scientific evidence that taking high sugar/carb in a meal will promote daytime sleepiness.
It could be due to a placebo effect. The brain convinces your body that you are alert after taking a glass of pure fruit juice.
What about those with diabetes? Can they take those healthier sugars such as brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or agave nectar?
Mok: They can be taken by diabetic patients in the right amounts. As mentioned, brown sugar and other sugar substitutes are not superior than white sugar as they deliver almost similar calories.
It is important for diabetic patients to take into consideration the total carbohydrate intake in a day.
For example, a typical Malaysian-style breakfast may have a piece of roti canai (47.9g of carbohydrate) with a glass of tehtarik (26g of carbohydrate from sugar).
In total, you are taking in 73.9g of carbohydrate, which could be too much and lead to a high blood sugar spike later.
However, if you choose to take plain tea with one or two teaspoons of sugar, it only gives you 5g to 10g of carbohydrate, which is less than half of a glass of teh tarik.
Do you have other comments, observations and advice?
Mok: A small amount of sugar intake is all right, but most people eat a lot more.
It is important to limit sugar intake to the amount that fits your calorie and nutrient needs. You can lower your intake by consuming food and beverages containing less sugar, often or by decreasing the amount you eat or drink. Bear in mind, moderation in sugar intake is key.