Good things about sugar

Sugar has always come under flak for being a high-calorie food. Considered as taboo for the diabetics, it has also been associated with the risks of causing obesity, hypoglycemia, hardening of arteries ,fatigue, violent behavior, hyperactivity, aching extremities, tooth decay and many other ailments, of which some could well be just over-hyped.

Dr Fredric Brandt, popularly known as ‘The Baron of Botox’ has denounced it further, hitting exactly where it hurts, especially, for women who are fond of sugar but too obsessed with their looks. He has said, "In a nutshell, sugar hastens the degradation of elastin and collagen, both key skin proteins. In other words, it actively ages you." He believes that by simply reducing your sugar intake, you can turn back the clock by ten years and improve the texture, tone and radiance of your skin. Hardly has this news sizzled out, there is another report linking it to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a top cause of vision loss.

But some of us have a sweet tooth and just can’t resist the cravings for those sweet dishes laden with sugar and oozing of desi ghee. Jaggery, which has loads of iron in it, is considered as a better substitute for sugar, though, some wouldn’t prefer the altered taste and look of the dishes prepared with it. Is sugar so bad that you have you avoid it completely? Or would you like to go by the dictum ‘Anything in moderation is not bad.’?

Even, eating too much of the same kind of the so called healthy food is considered unhealthy by nutritionists. Besides, there is little evidence to prove that sugar alone is specifically putting you at the risk of all kinds of diseases. Sedentary lifestyle, heredity, stress, frequent bingeing, an over-ambitious and a high-strung nature –a deadly combination of some or all these factors could also be at work. So it’s a change in your lifestyle, habits, and diet that you have to concentrate upon rather than blaming only ‘sugar’ for your ills. Here's one home remedy with sugar.

Halt Hiccups with sugar

For sweet relief from this often annoying, somethimes painful and alwyas embarrassing problem, swallow a spoonful of sugar. Hiccups occur when hte nerve that controls your diaphragm becomes irritated, sending the muscle into spasm. Delivering glucose to messenger nerves at the back of the throat may shock the main nerve into quieting down.
 
By the way here are a few nice things about sugar. (Courtesy: Sweet by Nature)

Good Things About Sugar

A teaspoon of sugar has just 15 calories.

Sweet by Nature^® and perfected in sugar beets and sugar cane, sugar is called the "gold standard of sweeteners." Often imitated, never duplicated! 

Sugar is brain food.

Sugar-and carbohydrates in general-are converted to blood glucose, the fundamental fuel needed by the brain.

Sugar makes nutritious foods tasty enough to eat. 

Just imagine what healthy foods like oatmeal, grapefruit and bran muffins would taste like without a sprinkle of sugar. 

Sugar helps heal wounds.

Sugar has been used for centuries to successfully aid in the healing of wounds. Sugar dries the wound thus preventing the growth of bacteria.

Sugar inhibits mold and yeast growth.

Sugar increases the useful life of jams and jellies by binding the water needed by mold and yeast for growth.

Sugar is used in Gulkand, a healthy Rose Petal Jam

In Gulkand or rose petal preserve, sugar is extensively used as a preservative. Gulkand is a health food. It is a coolant and provides great relief from acidity, constipation, bloodshot eyes, dark circles etc. Read more about it in Homemade Gulkand - Rose Petal Preserve To Cool Your Body.

Pic credits: istockphoto.com