Sweet temptation

We should all eat less sugar, according to the World Health Organisation. But sugar is a natural food – and it tastes good. Just how bad can it be? Charlotte Cripps investigates

We all know we eat too much sugar. Even those with the healthiest of diets can find themselves reaching for a sugar hit when that afternoon energy slump sets in. But last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that sugar consumption, especially in the West, has got way out of hand and said it was time we called a halt. Their new report says that sugar should make up no more than 10 per cent of a balanced diet. The WHO compiled the report with the help of 30 international experts, including the leading scientist on obesity in the US. It says the report "contains the best currently available scientific evidence on the relationship of diet, nutrition and physical activity to chronic diseases". It also calls for a clampdown on salt and saturated fats.

Naturally, the sugar industry is not taking this development lying down. It claims that the safe level of sugar in our diets is actually 25 per cent and wants the WHO to withdraw the report.

So who is right? Should we all be taking steps drastically to reduce our intake of sugar? The current intake is around 15 per cent of our diet on average, but for some people it is a whole lot higher. Is it really time to ditch the ice cream and chocolates? Are we destined to a life of oat-cakes with cottage cheese and rice puddings with steamed fruit as our only treat?

One in five people in the UK is now officially classified as obese. Experts believe we are fast heading towards the US figure of one in three. Obesity has tripled in the last 20 years, leading to 30,000 premature deaths in the UK. And it's not just a Western affliction, but a growing problem in developing countries, too, as they adopt Western habits.

Sugar – stored in the stalk or root of a plant – is a natural product of the photosynthesis that transforms the sun's energy into food. So just how bad can it be? "There is nothing wrong with a little bit of sugar," says Ian Marber, co-founder of The Food Doctor, one of the UK's leading nutrition clinics, who points out that even those without a serious chocolate habit may be eating too much sugar. "The problem is that most people have no idea how much sugar they are eating. It is important to help people realise that it's not direct sugar foods – like chocolate bars and ice cream – it's hidden sugars, found in ketchups and yoghurts and processed foods, that can bring a substantial level of sugar into diet."

But why is sugar so bad? "Sugar in the blood isn't necessarily bad. It needs to be there. It's a fuel – our energy source – that drives every mechanism," says Marber. "But it needs to be contained within strict levels, otherwise there are all sorts of complications." Excess sugar leads to increased weight. "If you eat too much sugar in a day and don't burn it off, the body has to convert it into fat for storage, because it can't get rid of it any other way," he says. "The body is actually encouraged, by the production of insulin, to become a storage unit." Too much sugar in the body, he believes, also disrupts the good and bad bacteria in the gut and leads to dysbiosis (bloating,wind and candida), lowers the immune system, and makes us vulnerable to coughs and colds.

There is also the rollercoaster of sugar addiction. At any one time there is about a teaspoon of sugar in the blood. A can of soft drink or a chocolate bar can have six to seven teaspoons of sugar. When we eat too much sugar, the body has to work really hard to produce a lot of insulin to keep that level at one teaspoon. If this happens over and over again we may get problems with insulin production. The body becomes less able to keep sugar levels steady and gets out of balance. "That is when we get symptoms of blood sugar imbalance," says Marber. Excessive thirst, sweating, mood swings, irritability, hyperactivity in children – and then a post sugar low – the slump – fatigue, headaches, shakes, dizziness – and then sugar cravings. It's at this point that we reach for something to alleviate the symptoms of fatigue – usually more sugar or caffeine. Minor blood sugar swings affect many people, but in excess, this can lead to more serious problems. "If this happens again and again over the years, it can lead to adult-onset type 2 diabetes," says Marber. To get a more even insulin response, we need to eat slow release carbohydrates, preferably with protein – such as porridge for breakfast and at snack times, a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts, rather than a chocolate bar.

However, there are others who claim that sugar is simply getting a bad press. "There is no particular reason for people to cut down on their sugar consumption unless it is unusually high," says,Dr Richard Cottrell, director of The Sugar Bureau in London. "A healthy diet will include a proportion of sugar. The debate is how much. But too much of anything is bad for you."

Dr Cottrell says that there is no direct link between sugar and obesity anyway. "The key to obesity is the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Evidence shows that obesity is caused by a dramatic decline in work and activity. Rather than pointing the finger at sugar, people have a problem bringing their overall food intake down to match their sedentary lifestyles," he says. Selecting a diet with a lower proportion of fat and slightly higher intake of carbohydrates helps to maintain a healthier weight. Although that is mostly starch, part of this sort of diet is sugar. Sugar also helps make a higher carbohydrate diet more palatable. "In fact," he says, "there is evidence that people who eat more sugar tend to eat less fat and are thinner – rather than the other way round. "People religiously trying to avoid sugar and taking it to an extreme tend to damage the variety of their diets too. They are narrowing down their diet, as does someone who tends to overeat. It's about a balanced diet, not singling out certain foods as good and bad." Dr Cottrell says he sees no scientific evidence to suggest that the average consumption of sugar is too high. "In adults that's around 15 per cent of energy intake daily."

So for those of us with a sweet tooth or who suffer from a mild sugar imbalance – how do we tackle it? Focus on increasing protein in your diet with complex carbohydrates, rather than relying on stimulants like cigarettes, coffee and sugar hits to get you through the day. All the starchy foods – white rice, white pasta, potatoes, white bread, white baguettes will encourage blood sugar imbalance. To avoid a sugar slump, always go for a wholemeal option with protein on top. "Re-educate your taste buds to a more savoury side of life," says Dr Marber.