If you’re a conscious eater who pays close attention to caloric intake and avoiding fatty foods, you probably avoid sugar as well. Consuming too many foods and drinks high in sugar can lead to a long list of health complications including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, just to name a few. But what about natural sugars? Those found in fruits, vegetables, and some dairy products. Are those bad for you too? The answer isn’t clear. Any food in excess isn’t beneficial to your overall health. This article will examine which foods contain natural sugars and what unknown benefits they carry.
What Healthy Foods Contain Sugar?
When you think of healthy foods, what comes to mind? Likely vegetables, fruits, lean meat, whole grain products, and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and nuts. And you’d be right. Incorporating these foods into your diet, when paired with exercise, help you maintain a healthy weight and healthy levels including cholesterol and blood pressure. Did you know that some of your favorite foods are actually quite high in sugar? Here are just a few:
- Granola bars
- Spaghetti sauce
- Sports drinks
- Cereal
- Low-fat yogurt
- Ketchup
- Canned soup
- Canned fruit
- Bottled smoothie drinks
These are just a few items that contain more sugar than you may realize. But the same holds true for your favorite fruits and vegetables. Here’s a list of which produce items top the list of highest sugar content.
- Pineapple
- Bananas
- Apples
- Pears
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
- Sweet corn
- Peas
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Beets
- Onions
This doesn’t mean that you can’t include these very nutritious foods into your daily diet. In fact, you should! A certain level of healthy, natural sugars is important for your body. Just bare in mind that too much of a good thing could be bad.
What are the Benefits?
Now that you know some natural sugars are actually good for you, let’s examine how exactly they benefit your body. Some of these high-sugar foods are actually known for treating specific ailments. CBD gummies, for example, can help relieve insomnia, stress, anxiety, and even depression in some users.
It’s important to note that there are several types of sugars found in common foods. These include refined white sugar, brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, raw sugar, and organic cane sugar. The type of natural sugar found in most fruits and vegetables is known as sucrose, or fructose, and has no distinct taste other than being sweet. Sugar cane and sugar cane juice are known for their specific health benefits. Let’s examine a few here.
Prevent Tooth Decay
Who knew that sugar could actually be good for your teeth? Sugar cane juice might actually help fight tooth decay because of the many minerals it contains. If you’re constantly popping a breath mint in hopes of warding off bad breath, sugar cane juice can help with this too. Not only does sugar cane juice fight tooth decay but it also helps you achieve a bright, white smile, while adding in the recovery and replacement of lost protein in the teeth.
Boost the Immune System
Sugar cane is a great source for vitamins, minerals, and nutrients including fiber, protein, and chlorophyll. All of these elements combined help to strengthen and boost your body’s immunity to sickness and other foreign substances. Not only can sugarcane help prevent you from getting sick, but it also supports the healthy function of major organs including your kidneys, brain, and eyes!
Treat Jaundice
Jaundice is a medical condition that causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is most commonly caused by liver disease, an obstruction of one or more bile ducts, and/or the breakdown of your body’s red cells. Sugar cane can help treat jaundice patients by strengthening the liver. To boost the effects even further, try adding a little salt and lemon to your sugar cane juice. Another pleasant side effect is boosted energy.
Provide Antioxidants
Not only is sugar cane rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, but it also contains antioxidants. Antioxidants work within the body to prevent the production and spreading of free radicals, which can ultimately damage cells. The two most common antioxidants found in sugar cane are flavonoids and phenolic substances. These antioxidants can help boost energy levels but also offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-allergic properties. This makes sugar cane juice perfect for treating inflammation due to injury or arthritis, seasonal allergies, and symptoms of the common cold.
Prevent Certain Cancers
Another antioxidant found in sugar cane and sugar cane juice offer anticancer properties, so it’s no surprise that this healthy sugar is known for preventing several types of cancers in both men and women. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer found in men and preventive measures are highly recommended for detecting and treating this specific type of cancer. And sugar cane can help! Because of its high iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium content, sugar cane juice is considered an alkaline beverage. Cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment and therefore, sugar cane juice is recommended for cancer prevention. The same holds true for preventing breast cancer in women.
Good for Your Skin
Considering the beauty industry is a billion dollar market, it’s no surprise that people are constantly looking for new, innovative, and inexpensive ways to moisturize and beautify their skin. Sugar cane contains an acid known as alpha hydroxy, which is known for promoting healthy skin. So much so that sugar cane is used in many types of face masks and can actually be applied directly to the skin to offer anti-aging benefits and leave skin looking refreshed.
Don’t let people fool you into thinking that all sugar is bad for you. While you shouldn’t binge on candy or drinks loaded with sugar, there are some benefits found in certain types of sugar. Try to avoid processed foods and instead get your sugar intake from natural sources like fruits and vegetables. And be sure to stock your fridge with sugar cane juice to help boost your energy, immune system, and overall health.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
