By Gurama A Gurama (PhD)
Nowadays, the aphorism “everything in moderation” has become a battle cry for healthy individuals everywhere but when it comes to sugar and salt, many of us just can’t help ourselves. Even though both play various essential roles in our body (the brain needs sugar for energy, and muscles need salt to contract, for example), they can also cause a wide variety of health problems when consumed in excess DR. Gombalandi Ruben said.
Sugar – particularly fructose – may play a stronger role in high blood pressure and other cardiac conditions than salt it’s also revealed that lowering salt consumption under certain levels may do more harm than good.
A research team suggests attempts to reduce salt in a processed food may drive people to eat more and more, but Professor Francessco Cappuccio, at the University of Warwick, said: “The emphasis on reducing sugar and not salt is disingenuous but recent research says otherwise.
Both should be targeted at population level for an effective approach to cardiovascular prevention.
Prof Tom Saunders, at King’s College London, said: Cutting salt intake and losing weight will lower blood pressure, salt intake has fallen in the UK as manufacturers have reduced the amount of salt added to food. This has also been accompanied by a fall in blood pressure a research cited.
Added sugar intake is derived mainly from sugar-sweetened beverages, confectionery, cereal products such as cakes, biscuits, bread, popcorn and what have you.
Eating too much sugar leads to the deposition of cholesterol and gaining weight though our body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol deposited within our system can increase our risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, we can develop fatty deposits in our blood vessels, eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow circulate through our arteries; either this heart condition, excess LDL builds up as plaque in our heart’s small arteries, causing them to narrow and stiffen. Thus this reduces blood flow, which can make us feel tired or short of breath, chest pain or what have you.
The easiest way to reduce added sugar intake is to limit sugar-sweetened beverage and confectionery consumption; Dr Shu’aibu Isa suggested.
So which of these vices have a greater impact on our health, and why? Let’s see.
When considering heart health, blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors and if you have high blood pressure, chances are you might be thinking about lowering your salt intake, but new research is pointing a finger at sugar as the culprit for causing a number of health conditions including high blood pressure, and increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Sugar
It’s not so much naturally-occurring sugars (like those found in fruits) that experts have a problem with as it is refined and added sugars. Milk and 100 percent fruit juice, for example, contain natural sugars and calories, but they also provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, protein (in milk), and polyphenols (in juice), says Texas-based registered dietitian Professor Kaleigh McMordie; sugary beverages like soda and sweet tea, on the other hand, provide sugar and calories with little nutrition. The same goes for the majority of grab-and-go snack foods that surround us on the regular—they don’t provide any nutritional benefits (like fiber, protein, or vitamins and minerals) unless they’re stripped and then added back in later.
Not surprisingly, overconsumption of these products can lead to obesity and nutrient deficiencies in one fell swoop, cited in a research published by Dr Tukur of Gombe state University.
Salt VS Sugar; both these ingredients have long been under scrutiny, find out which one is worse for your health and why you should avoid it.
From the existing literature I came to the verdict and conclude that sugar – particularly fructose – may play a stronger role in high blood pressure and other cardiac conditions than salt and also lowering salt consumption under certain levels may do more harm than good as such it’s always advisable to see your health professional on a regular basis.
Conclusively neither of the two ingredients are bad for our health, but if compared, sugar is more harmful to our health if consumed in excess. Experts recommend consuming both sugar and salt, in moderation to avoid complications. The key here is to track our intake and control our eating habits for a better understanding, it is best to consult a dietician, nutritionist or any medical professional.
Gurama is a fellow of doctoral degree writing from Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gombe State University.
