The world of social networks never ceases to amaze us. And to say that in 2022 is to risk it a lot. Proof of this is the recent case of a 70 year old Australian influencer old, Carolyn Hartzwhich promotes through its social networks the benefits of living without sugar while sharing exercise routines and healthy living with its followers.
Fortunately, the bulk of the health messages Carolyn shares with her community seem pretty spot on: healthy protein intake, regular exercise, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. However, there is one aspect that is quite squeaking: the complete absence of sugar in your diet.
Everything takes on a dark hue when we see that Carolyn promotes some polyalcohols on her social networks such as sugar substitutes: erythritol and xylitol. Do these compounds have benefits over sugar? And, more importantly, can you really live without consuming any sugar at all? We will solve all these sugar questions below.
The different types of sugars that exist
Before we start talking about what it’s like to live without sugar, it’s important to explain that there are different types of sugars in nature, and that not all of them are related to damage to health.
A sugar is a monosaccharide —that is, the smallest chemical unit that makes up carbohydrates— that has sweetening properties, as is the case of glucose, fructose or galactose. All these monosaccharides are grouped in turn into several molecules, being able to form disaccharides such as lactose or sucrose.
It is precisely this last element that draws our attention, since common sugar is known as saccharose. This is the whitish compound that we popularly associate with a poor diet, table sugar. However, in food labeling we find many types of sugars and not just sucrose, which complicates the task of unraveling all these sweet mysteries.
Is it possible to live without sugar?
There is a fairly widespread belief about the fundamental role of sugar in our diet. Surely you have ever heard the phrase “our brain needs sugar to function”. Well, spoiler: this is not quite correct.
What our brain and our cells need for energy fuel is glucose, the original sugar molecule responsible for providing energy to our body. Where do we then get the necessary glucose? It’s very simple: from all the common and grinding foods that we consume on a daily basis. This is so because at the metabolic level all foods end up being transformed into glucose assimilable by the body, to a greater or lesser extent, through various metabolic pathways. The foods most involved in this process are those rich in carbohydrates or complex sugars, such as cereals, tubers, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
This molecular confusion is what leads us to believe that refined sugar is an essential product in the diet, when this is not the case at all. So yes, it is possible to live without consuming any sugar in our diet just like Carolyn Hartz does. In fact, it is advisable to consume as little sugar as possible. Why? Well, because its regular presence in the diet is linked to metabolic problems such as obesity, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. For this reason, the WHO advises from the year 2021 not to exceed 25 grams of sugar per day. Specifically, this limitation refers to free sugars in the diet.
Free sugars and intrinsic sugars
Imagine that you have a wet sponge in your hands. If you squeeze hard, the sponge will release all the liquid it contains. On the other hand, if you don’t, the sponge will keep all the water inside, right? Ok, now imagine that the sponge is an orange. And that water is juice. Indeed, this simile of dubious quality it is comparable to what happens with the sugar in fruit juices that has been separated from the food matrix that contained it.
By squeezing a fruit like orange all the sugary juice is released, so we start to consider these sugars as free. On the contrary, and in a scenario where the orange has not been subjected to the iron pressure of the juicer, the sugars remain inside the fruit along with the dietary fiber and other healthy ingredients of the fruit. We say then that the sugars contained in whole fruits are intrinsic sugars.
This is important, as intrinsic sugars are not linked to health problems based on current scientific evidence. Hence, the consumption of whole fruit is not problematic, in fact it is very beneficial for health due to its great contribution of vitamins and other essential nutrients. On the other hand, it is the free sugars that keep public bodies in check and whose intake is recommended to control according to the previous indications that we mentioned from the WHO.
Xylitol in exchange for living without sugar?
That free sugar is not considered healthy does not mean that it is a poison. Indeed, it is linked to health problems, but sporadic or small consumption in our daily routine will not lead to great adversity. the key is in don’t make sugar a continuing resource within our diet.
Instead, the instagramer praises and promotes the use of xylitol and erythritol as sweeteners in homemade desserts and biscuits. So much xylitol like erythritol are sweeteners belonging to the family of polyalcohols, substances that stand out for providing sweetness but with a reduced number of calories.
However, although the use of sweeteners may seem idyllic, it actually hides some shadows. For example, certain scientific studies link their consumption with weight gain, although it may seem somewhat contradictory. What’s more, sweeteners keep us hooked on sweet taste and they do not allow us to enjoy the natural sweetness of foods such as fruits and nuts: they alter our sweet taste threshold.
On the other hand, polyols are associated with a certain deterioration of our intestinal microbiota and their presence must be marked on the labeling of those products that contain them with the notice: “Excessive consumption can produce laxative effects”, according to European legislation. As an anecdotal point, within the polyalcohols, xylitol does have a benefit scientifically proven. Xylitol has been shown to be useful in reducing the incidence of dental caries, which is why it is often added to sugar-free chewing gum.
In short, we can conclude that a sugar-free or low-sugar diet is not incompatible with good health. In fact, promoting healthy habits based on the elaboration of recipes without sugar is positive, as Carolyn Hartz does. However, if the currency is the abusive use of sweeteners it is clear that it does not compensate us. The best thing for our health is to consume as little sugar and sweeteners as possible.