Sugar Or Salt: Which Is Worse In Excess?
The excessive consumption of sugar and salt has been linked to a wide variety of diseases for many years. In fact, it is currently advised to limit its consumption as part of the measures to promote well-being. However, some still wonder which one is worse excessively.
Well, for a long time, salty foods and fats have been identified as responsible for a large number of diseases. However, as food science and studies progress, many of these ideas have been dismantled.
Even today, most complex diseases are related to high sugar consumption. So which is worse, sugar or salt? We will address this issue in detail below.
Which is worse, sugar or salt?
We are going to take a closer look at the consequences of consuming salt and sugar in excess, to later conclude which of the two ingredients carries greater health risks.
Salt
It was related to arteriosclerosis and increased blood pressure. The truth is that there are articles, such as one published in The American Journal of Medicine , that doubt this relationship.
Salt is a necessary element for life and for the transmission of the nerve impulse. Unlike sugar, there is a minimum amount that must be consumed for vital functions to develop properly.
On the other hand, the body is not prepared to synthesize it endogenously. It is necessary to consume it through the diet and its deficit can be related to different complications, some of them have to do with the thyroid and its pathologies.
The problems that were formerly related to salt consumption are now associated with an inappropriate lifestyle. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle and high calorie diets promote arteriosclerosis. In addition, blood pressure can also be altered by these types of unhealthy situations.
Sugar
It is one of the industry’s preferred ingredients. Due to the contribution of flavor and texture, it appears in a large part of the processed products. The WHO does not establish the minimum amount necessary, but it does establish the maximum recommended amount.
It is made up mainly of glucose, which is a substance necessary for life and for energy metabolism. However, it is a nutrient that the body itself is capable of synthesizing from proteins and fatty acids, therefore it is not essential.
Even taking into account that in sports situations the requirements vary, the current consumption of sugar is well above what is recommended.
This high consumption is related to a greater probability of being overweight and obese. It also has a clear incidence in the development of complex diseases such as diabetes and some types of cancer, as indicated by a study published in the journal PLoS One .
Which is worse in excess?
The sugar. Because of its condition as a non-essential nutrient and because of its clear relationship with the disease. Only in sports situations does it become a necessary nutrient, but salt continues to be so in these cases as well.
There is sufficient scientific evidence to affirm that reducing sugar consumption, even eliminating it from the diet, would have a lot of beneficial consequences for the body. First, diabetes would cease to be an endemic disease.
On the other hand, the obesity rate would be reduced and with it many associated organ problems, such as heart problems. In addition, the incidence of certain types of cancer related to the digestive system would become less frequent.
How to reduce sugar consumption?
One of the main problems when facing the reduction of sugar intake is the habit of our palates to the sweet. The best way to start is to try to substitute highly sugary processed products for their versions free of added sugars.
Later, starting to make them at home, without using sugar as a sweetener, can be a great option. To give a sweet flavor to the preparations a great idea is to use fruits. Although they contain sugar in their composition, its amount is notably lower than that present in table sugar.
The change at the beginning will be costly due to the custom to the palatability of the processed products. However, over time that “need” for industrial products will be lost and health will be noticeably improved.
Control the consumption of sugar and salt in the diet for better health
Anyway, and outside of the debate of whether sugar or salt is better, we must not forget that no excess food is positive, and that really the ideal is to move on average terms.
The flexible diet therefore allows a certain consumption of sugar in a responsible way, as well as salt. Perhaps this type of diet is the best option when it comes to combining health with pleasure at mealtime.
