“Sugar is the body’s preferred source of fuel for brain power, muscle energy and every natural process that goes into proper functioning of our body cells,” the Indian Sugar Mills Association recently told Bloomberg.

However, there is always a but when talking about sugar. A sugar-heavy diet may increase the risk of several diseases like heart disease, diabetes, poor dental health, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“Sugar is not the only culprit. There are so many other factors, like lifestyle, an unhealthy diet and smoking, but there is a risk from sugar if it is consumed in large quantities,” Mery Harita, a medical practitioner in West Jakarta, said in an interview with The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“As a doctor, I always advise my diabetic patients not to consume sugar. If they deliberately want sweetness, they can consume low-calorie sugar daily, but in small quantity.”

For normal or healthy people, there is nothing wrong with consuming sugar daily.

“Sugar is ubiquitous. It can be found in any food or drink. It has many names and shapes: glucose, honey, fructose, corn syrup, sucrose and many others. All these sugars are carbohydrates and essential for our body,” Sanjeevini Pertiwi, who studied biomedicine, told the Post.

Popular

Ten years lost in two

Three-finger salute raised high, broad and multifaceted in Indonesia

'Rhizomatic' movements help youth voice political messages