Sugar & Health

In recent years, scientists and researchers have thoroughly examined the nutrition and health aspects of sugar consumption. There has been a widespread belief that sugar is a primary concern for some of the major health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, dental caries and behavioral problems. However, various authorities such as the Sugar Task Force which was founded in 1986 by the FDA (The US Food and Drug Administration), the committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy Panel on Dietary Sugars and Human Disease in 1989, have consistently reported that such worries are unfounded. In fact, various researchers have independently found that no good correlation exists between these health problems and the level of sugar consumption except in the case of dental caries.

Dental caries are found to be caused by various factors and consensus has been reached that all fermentable carbohydrates are a potential cause of dental caries and not sugar alone. Frequency of consumption is a more important factor than the specific type of carbohydrate involved.

This is not to suggest that consumption of sugar is devoid of all association with health issues, but more accurately, to indicate that a balanced diet is important and any normal consumption of sugar is not the root cause of these health problems.