Nutritional Deficiencies
Sugars supply empty calories in bulk as compared with other essential nutrients which are available only in small amounts. Honey, for instance, contains some minerals and vitamins but in limited quantities. Therefore, an elevated intake of added sugars simply displaces the much needed macro and micro-nutrients, necessary for the overall growth and development of the body. However, some studies have shown that vitamins and minerals are not necessarily affected by the intake of added sugar. This is attributable to the supplementation of diets with vitamins and minerals. In a heart study, done among children in Bogalusa, though, a linear reduction in the consumption of a variety of essential nutrients was linked to elevated levels of total sugar consumption. Simply speaking, sugars are not “bad” if consumed in appropriate quantities but can be detrimental if their intake levels are not checked (Herman, 2012).
The various studies that have been conducted to support the negative health effects of a high intake of added sugar provide credible evidence that added sugars, even though they may not directly cause these bad conditions, significantly add to their occurrence. Added sugar is one of the key contributors to the serious health problems, discussed herein, and many others. Further, since it has been noted from the various studies covered that an increased intake of sucrose results in renal disease, there should be a restriction of added sugars such as fructose along with protein restriction in the diet of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. It is also necessary to conduct more human studies that look into the correlation between dietary fructose and uric acid in renal disease occurrence. Moreover, in a summary of Carbohydrate News of Canadian Sugar Institute (2004), there is no enough evidence that can be used for setting the upper limits of total added sugar consumption and for holding added sugars culpable in contributing to lifestyle diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to do more cross-national studies to clarify the association of added sugars with noncommunicable diseases such as overweight and obesity, diabetes, dental caries, hyperlipidemia and others.
