The sweet taste

Our preference for sweet flavours is a deep human imprint and is evolutionarily determined.

Sugar is produced by photosynthesis from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. In our body, sugar is broken down into energy. For thousands of years, a sweet flavour has indicated that a food contains a lot of quickly available energy. Sweet means nutritious.

However, sweet foods also activate the dopamine-controlled reward system in the brain. This has addictive potential and increases the desire for sweet foods. 

You can influence the sugar balance positively by


a)    When you eat, pay attention to sugar content, portion size and the composition of carbohydrates and fibre. The lower the proportion of foods containing sugar or white flour and the higher the proportion of whole grains and fibre, the better the body's sugar balance.

b)    Move regularly and sufficiently. Muscles consume energy in the form of sugar. As soon as we (moderately) exercise, the blood sugar level drops.

c)    Make sure you get enough sleep, because our metabolism is less able to cope with sugar from food when we are overtired.

d)    Find ways to reduce everyday's stress. As with many people, stress has a negative effect on the sugar metabolism. On the one hand, the risk of reaching for sugar-heavy snacks to relieve stress increases. On the other hand, the stress hormones disrupt the effect of insulin and the sugar level in the blood is higher.

If we permanently have too much sugar in our blood ...

Our bodies cannot tolerate too much sugar. A finely tuned system, centred on the pancreatic hormone insulin, ensures that there is never too much sugar circulating in the blood.

If we eat too much sugar and carbohydrates over the years, the system becomes unbalanced and the excess sugar in the blood (glucose) leads to oxidative stress. This means nothing other than that the body's own tissue is damaged. As a result, diabetes can develop.

There are different types of diabetes, such as:

  • Type-1: As a result of autoimmune processes, the pancreas does not produce insulin and the patients, who are usually young, are dependent on insulin for the rest of their lives.
     
  • Type-2: People develop diabetes over the course of their lives because of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition and stress. The body either does not produce (enough) insulin, or the insulin it does produce is not used effectively. This causes blood glucose levels to rise, which in the long term can lead to various health complications.
     
  • Gestational diabetes: When the body does not produce enough insulin during pregnancy to cover the increased demand.
     
  • Sonderformen

With a diet plan tailored to your constitution, you will receive valuable and easy-to-implement tips for a sugar-conscious diet. Relaxation and breathing exercises to support your sleep hygiene and reduce stress..

Fotos: gras ©Bruno auf Pixabay; food from top ©Freepik; Diabetes ©Artem Podrez auf Pexels