What you need to know before you start

Sugar consumption has continued to increase in recent decades: we consume almost 30 kg of sugar per year compared to 2 kg a century ago.⁽¹⁾. What is the impact of this increase on our health?

Consuming too much sugar can lead to rapid weight gain, and plays an important role in the development of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.

In France, 20 to 30% of the population consume more than 100 grams per day, while the World Health Organization recommends consuming no more than 50 grams.

In this article, I suggest you evaluate your sugar and distinguish fact from fiction!

Do I really need sugar?

Your body, especially your brain, needs glucose to function, it is its fuel. Your body is also able to convert fructose and other carbohydrates into glucose when it needs it.

On the other hand, your body does not need sucrose, sweet products, or other added sugars. These foods are enjoyable and should account for no more than 5% of your daily calories.

Why is it so hard to give up sugar?

From a very early age, sugar and sweet products are associated with reward, celebration (birthday) or comfort. However, sugar stimulates our brain's reward system, the famous dopamine network that secretes dopamine (the pleasure hormone).

The more we stimulate this reward system with sugar, the greater the dose of sugar needed for satiety.

The dopamine system reacts to sugar just as it reacts to some drugs, which is why we talk about “sugar” addiction. But be careful, we can only talk about addiction when sugar consumption is out of control.

In 2007, Serge Ahmed, research director at the National Center for Scientific Research and a neuroscientist, highlighted the following fact in a study: “90% of drug-addicted rats preferred sugar water to cocaine.”

What are the different types of sugars?

Scientists refer to sugars as carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include two categories: simple and complex.

• Simple sugars Like glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose… they are the only ones that have sweetening power (that is, they have a sweet taste). They are quickly absorbed by the body and are found in white sugar, honey, sweets, cakes, chocolate, sugary drinks, etc.
• Complex sugars (such as starch and fibre) are slowly absorbed by the body. It is found in starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta, legumes and potatoes.

Added sugars and hidden sugars are simple sugars. But what is the difference?

• Added sugars They are incorporated into foods and beverages by the manufacturer or consumer.
• Hidden sugars They are added sugars listed under complex and unknown names. We can find hidden sugars in sandwich bread, industrial soups, canned vegetables, etc.

When we talk about a sugar detox, we're talking about reducing simple sugars (added and hidden) in our diet.

Is sugar in fruits, dairy products and starchy foods bad?

Many of the foods we consume daily contain carbohydrates: milk (lactose), fruits (fructose), cereals (starch), honey (glucose and fructose)… But is the sugar they contain bad?

Fruits, dairy products and starchy foods should be present daily in your diet, as they provide us with energy and essential nutrients such as vitamins, fiber and calcium. But you must pay attention to the quantities and quality of these foods.

For fruit

Choose whole, seasonal fruits to preserve vitamins and minerals as much as possible. Eat a maximum of 2 to 3 servings of fruit during the day. Note that you should not drink more than one fruit juice per day.

Nutritional advice : 1 serving of fruit (= 20 g of carbohydrates) corresponds to 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 peach, 1 orange, 2 kiwis, figs or clementines, 3 peaches, 4 apricots, dates or plums, 10 fresh lychees, 10 To 15 cherries or grapes, 1 compote without added sugar, 1 100% pure fruit juice.

For starchy foods

Choose whole or semi-whole starches (whole rice, whole pasta) as well as dried vegetables (white beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.), which are richer in dietary fiber and therefore more filling. Eat them at every meal either as a main course or as bread, but not both: starchy foods should make up between a quarter and a half of your plate.

Nutritional advice: To better manage portions, add vegetables to your meals (raw vegetables, soup, main course, etc.)

Dairy products

It is preferable to eat natural dairy products without added sugar such as yogurt, cottage cheese, small sweets, etc. Eat 2 to 3 dairy products daily, limiting cheese to a maximum of once daily.

Nutritional advice Dairy desserts such as cream desserts, rice pudding, and puddings are associated with sweet products, not dairy products. They are rich in sugars and fats and provide little calcium. Therefore it should be limited and should not be consumed daily.

Why ditch sugar?

Sugar detox has evolved in recent years, but what is it and what are the benefits of it? The goal of a sugar detox is to reduce the intake of added and hidden sugars in our diet.

This approach is consistent with national recommendations (HandlesPNNS) and the International (WHO), advise not to exceed 50 to 100 grams of added sugars per day per person (adult).

Read also How to decode food labels?

There are several ways

You can cut out added sugar entirely, or gradually reduce the amount of sugar you consume.

Ultimately, we reduce the amounts of simple sugars eaten without removing all carbohydrates from your diet. What works for your friends won't necessarily work for you. The important thing is to find what works for you and seems possible for you.

Therefore, the goal of a sugar detox is to restore a balanced diet by favoring whole grains and natural sugars while limiting hidden and added sugars in your diet.