Adjust Our Diet 7 : Reduce Sugar Consumption

Our body needs sugar to function properly. In 1996, my family also switched from white sugar to sugar brown, molasses and honey. Brown sugar is regarded better than white sugar.

On the other hand, the white, refined and crystallized sugars are considered bad sugar. Refined sugar is responsible for tooth decay, nervousness, periodic depression, suspicion and nervous breakdowns (Lai 1993). See Lai, C.N. (1993). The Pursuit of Life. Singapore: Lapis Lazuli Light.

The refined sugar has been described as “man-made poison in sweet disguise… There are over 60 ailments that have been associated with sugar consumption in the medical literature. They include cancer, asthma, allergies, diabetes, heart disease…” (Utusan Konsumer July-August 2008).

“Our national drink the − teh tarik − contains about six teaspoons of sugar in less than 350ml. The human body doesn’t need extra sugar. The food we consume like rice, vegetables and fruits already contain natural sources of sugar”, stressed S.M. Mohamed Idris, president of Consumers Association of Penang (Yeoh & Hamdan 2009). See Yeoh, W. & Hamdan R.A. (2009), “Sugar more harmful than drugs, says CAP”, Sunday Star, 15 November 2009.


This type of sugar is used in preparing soft drinks, ice creams, chocolates, sweets and cakes. When too much of food with this type of sugar are consumed, we are likely to face obesity and diabetes even at the early stage of our youthful life. It is now known that the major cause of diabetes is high blood sugar. Similarly excess sugar consumption is linked to obesity, kidney stone, osteoporosis, heart disease and dental cavities (Robbins 2001). See Robbins, J. (2001). The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your life and the World. Mumbai: Magna Publishing Co. Ltd.


According to Consumers Association of Penang, those enjoying soft drinks are at risk of various health problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson’s disease and premature ageing resulting from the use of the preservative sodium benzoate E211 to prevent mould in soft drinks by the global carbonated drinks industry (Dermawan 2007). We should avoid this type of situation at all costs. See Dermawan, A. (2007). “CAP: Soft drinks linked to serious diseases”, New Straits Times, 15 December 2007.

When we consume too much refined sugar, it will accumulate in the body resulting in body acidity. The body system will discharge calcium from the bone to neutralize the acidic pH value, i.e. to make it less acidic. When our body does not contain sufficient calcium, bone-related problems may arise and you may not grow tall. In the meantime, the excess sugar will turn into fat and also affect the intake of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. When our body lacks vitamins, minerals and calcium, especially we will become impatient and angry easily. If we continue to consume excessive sugar in our diet, this can lead to dental problems, heart problems and hypoglycemia (also known as low blood sugar). Later stages of Type-2 diabetes will lead to microvascular oxidation breakdown, such as kidney degeneration, macular (eye) degeneration and wound healing problems.

Food high in refined sugars can create cardiovascular problems. This is because our body converts excess sugar into saturated fatty acids. The sugars, i.e. all refined sugars and syrup, include (a) simple sugars: glucose (dextrose), fructose (or levulose) and galactose; (b) double sugars: sucrose (table sugar), maltose (in beer) and lactose (in milk); (c) dextrins and dextrans, and (d) syrup made from sugarcane, sugar beets, sorghum and maple. Products containing hidden sugars include soft drinks, cakes, cookies and pies, candies and confections, canned fruits and juice, ice cream, shakes, jams, jellies and desserts (Erasmus 1993). According to Associate Professor Dr Sharifah Kharidah Syed Muhammad, a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Department of Food Science, sugar in drinks and snacks is simple carbohydrate. Simple carbohydrate is absorbed quickly into the blood stream and increases the blood sugar level fast (New Straits Times, 2 May 2007).

More people are now concerned about glycemic index, i.e. the rate at which the blood sugar increases or how fast our bodies absorb a particular carbohydrate. Highly processed carbohydrates such as white bread, white flour, rice and potatoes release their sugars faster than table sugar. These foods are high-glycemic carbohydrates. On the other hand, carbohydrates such as cauliflower, beans, asparagus, apples, oranges and grapes release their sugars more slowly, thus keeping blood sugars from spiking. These carbohydrates are called low-glycemic (Strand 2003). See Strand, D. (2003). Death by Prescription. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications.

We learned that brown sugar, molasses and honey are not considered health food in Macrobiotics as they are yin foods. Those practising Macrobiotic diet take rice malt or barley malt as replacement. Consequently, we decided to reduce the consumption of brown sugar, molasses and honey in 2007.