Eating sugar makes you fat. That’s a fact. Sweet foods simply contain a lot of calories. But it’s a fable at the same time…
You get fat because you take in too many calories and it really doesn’t matter if those calories come from sweet foods or other foods. That’s why we put together some sugar facts and myths.
Losing weight
If you want to lose weight, it does not make sense to just remove sugar from the diet or replace it with other sweeteners. That alone won’t make you lose weight. Variation in meals and more exercise reduce the risk of obesity.
Sweeteners
Sugar is now often replaced by sweeteners. There are sweeteners that provide no calories (energy) and sweeteners that do. Some sweeteners cannot withstand high temperatures, so you can’t cook or bake with them.
Examples of sweeteners are: Xylitol (protects against caries), Saccharin (also known as ‘Chinese sugar’), Acesulfame_K, Aspartame, Cyclamate and Sucralose. On the site of the nutrition center you will find more information about these sweeteners.
Diabetes mellitus
This disease is also called diabetes. Because of this name, it is wrongly thought that diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar, or that you should not eat sugar if you have diabetes. In a person with diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin. As a result, carbohydrates are broken down too quickly, resulting in high blood glucose levels. For more information, visit the website of the Diabetes Association of the Netherlands.
The possibilities of sugar…
preservative
The taste, structure and color of fruits can be preserved for a long time by preserving them, confit or canning them with sugar or sugar syrup (jam). Bacteria cannot survive in a sweet environment containing more than 62% sugar. The combination of fruit acid and sugar also brings out the natural flavor and ensures a firm structure.
Flavour enhancer
Adding a spoonful of sugar brings out the flavor of some vegetables and enhances other flavor properties. Salty or sour products mixed with sugar give a pleasant taste. Think of sugar in the salad dressing or yogurt.
texture maker
Sugar solution is a base of many sweets. Not only for the taste, but also the firmness and structure of candy is partly determined by sugar. Ice cream, desserts and pastries also derive their firmness from sugar. In combination with stiffly beaten egg whites, this also makes products airy.
Tool
Flowers thrive when a spoonful of sugar has been added to the water. Cookies stay fresh longer if there is a mountain of sugar in the cookie jar.
