Why do we have a taste for sweet? Why have we extracted and concentrated sugars from various plants such as sugar cane and sugar beet? The latter was indeed refined, but was it also useful?
Look at the composition of the milk of different mammals. Human milk is rich in lactose, sheep milk is rich in proteins, and seal milk is rich in fats. Humans need galactose for brain development – later in life we should avoid galactose, just like nature arranged it. What nature couldn’t foretell was man’s craving for sugar after early childhood leading to refining sugar. The caveman faced other problems than the urban troglodyte.
The taste quality sweet is triggered not only by common sugar (sucrose), but also by some amino acids, proteins or alcohols (e.g., sweeteners). [1] We love to eat sweet because it reminds us of the mother's milk. Bitter is seen as a warning. The conditioning to certain taste qualities already takes place in the mother's body and later especially in early childhood. This has picked up on the industry and makes the food supply always sweeter. “Regardless of everything we have learned, however, our food just keeps getting sweeter and more sugary. According to a report from the Times of London, many of the foods we buy are markedly sweeter than they were 30 years ago — cereal, bread, soup and even fruit.” [2]
Let’s talk about white sugar. Sugar can become addictive and increase the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease [2]. Also inflammatory-rheumatic diseases are discussed in the context of sugar, but I have not found any proof yet. I hardly believe anybody else is looking at white sugar (sucrose) as a source for health. But what about fruit syrups? Using vacuum, the juice of apples, pears, pomegranates, grapes or agaves can be concentrated into syrup, preserving minerals, trace elements and a portion of secondary plant substances. In the Rhineland we have sugar beet syrup (a kind of molasses) or apple syrup (also thick as molasses), but also syrup is made from pears and plums. Or there is pomegranate syrup in our Turkish supermarkets. Are these syrups healthier than sugar? No! I would advise against these syrups because of a higher proportion of fructose. Fructose can promote insulin resistance, in some people it has laxative effects, and these syrusps can promote gout by increasing uric acid concentration by increasing the body-borne synthesis of purines. In addition to the syrups, it is important to list foods and soft drinks that have been sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Now you do not need to completely relinquish fruit, just reduce it. As an urban troglodyte reduce it to caveman’s standard.
Maybe a few words about maple syrup. It is condensed by a factor of forty, and consists mainly of sucrose, fructose, and water; due to the high water content it contains fewer calories. Since it is condensed by heat, it is an ecological catastrophe.
In summary, this means for the urban troglodyte:
• Do not use sugar
• Do not use colored sugar (refined sugar with some molasses)
• Do not use coconut and palm sugar (which is also essentially sucrose)
• Do not use honey
• Do not use syrups
• Do not eat HFCS sweetened foods
• Eat fruit, but not too much of it
Let's talk about sweeteners. Some sweeteners have a bitter taste component; including sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate, stevioside and acesulfame-K [ref. under 1]. Disturbances of intestinal flora and glucose metabolism were detected nn mice being fed saccharin, sucralose or aspartame. An Israeli study found in 2014: "Participants who used sweeteners weighed more had higher levels of fasting blood glucose and HbA1c as well as a disturbed oral glucose tolerance; the examination of the faeces revealed a change in the intestinal flora.
I have tested xylitol and stevia in heroic self-experiments. Both tasted not as sweet as sugar.
Stevia isn’t sold as a natural product but as steviol glycosides, which are extracted from stevia; another sugar is added to these steviol extracts because of minimal volume. 10 mg are classified as harmless - but are quickly exceeded, if used in sodas like cola.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol. It is considered to be tooth-friendly. It occurs in small quantities also in food. It had the effect of an accelerated gastrointestinal passage.
I consider the idea of sweeteners nonsense.
It is not a matter of looking for alternatives to sugars, which then also turn out to be problematic. You continue the addiction for sweet taste. Much better for health would be to re-train the taste. Get out of the cradle, urban troglodyte! Renounce all added sugars!
Please start reading ingredient lists.
This is a current list of ingredients of a pizza:
“Crust (Enriched Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid], Water, Soybean Oil, Yeast, Bread Crumbs [Wheat Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Salt], Sugar, Salt, Cultured Wheat Starch, Olive Oil, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Honey, L-Cysteine, Citric Acid), Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese Blend (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Cellulose To Prevent Caking), Buffalo Cream Sauce (Water, Canola Oil, Hot Pepper Sauce [Chili Peppers, Vinegar, Salt], Corn Syrup Solids, Distilled Vinegar, Natural Flavors, Modified Food Starch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Sugar, Glucono-Delta- Lactone, Soybean Oil, Paprika, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Xanthan Gum, DATEM, Lactic Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Citric Acid), Chicken Sausage (Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat With Skin, Boneless Chicken White Meat, Roasted Red Peppers, Provolone Cheese [Cultured Milk, Enzymes, Salt], Spices, Sea Salt, Roasted Garlic, Sugar, Dried Red Bell Pepper, Flavoring), Green Bell Peppers. Allergen Information: Contains Milk, Soy, Wheat. Baked Pizza Slices And/Or Baked Whole Pizzas Are Prepared In A Retail Facility That Also Processes: Eggs, Fish, Milk, Peanuts, Shellfish, Soy, Tree Nuts & Wheat.”
This is a current list of ingredients of an instant soup:
“Bread Croutons (Wheat Flour, Edible Vegetable oil, Spices & Condiments, Salt, Yeast, Sunflower Oil), Potato Starch, Maltodextrine, Tomato Powder (12.74%), Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Fat Powder, Spices & Condiments, Edible Vegetable Fat, Flavour Enhancers (E627,E631), Thickener E415, Anti Caking Agent (E551), Acidity Regulator (E330).”
If you find words like sugar, sweetener, glucose, fructose, aluminum, pyro, agent or E-numbers in a list of ingredients, then put it back on the shelf.
Urban troglodytes – eat natural! Prepare your own food!
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