Ridiculous (But True!) Reasons to Buy Sugar!

Here is a list of the most outrageous reasons to have sugar. I copied this off of the Sugar Association's web site.
"A teaspoon of sugar has just 15 calories. Sweet by Nature^® and perfected in sugar beets and sugar cane, sugar is called the "gold standard of sweeteners." Often imitated, never duplicated!
Sugar is brain food. Sugar-and carbohydrates in general-are converted to blood glucose, the fundamental fuel needed by the brain.
Sugar makes nutritious foods tasty enough to eat. Just imagine what healthy foods like oatmeal, grapefruit and bran muffins would taste like without a sprinkle of sugar.
Sugar helps heal wounds. Sugar has been used for centuries to successfully aid in the healing of wounds. Sugar dries the wound thus preventing the growth of bacteria.
Sugar has been an important food ingredient for centuries. Experts place the origin of sugar in the South Pacific about 8000 years ago.
Sugar caramelizes under heat. Caramelization gives cooked vegetables a pleasing taste, color and aroma. Sugar in glazes and sauces provides caramelized flavors for cooked meats.
Sugar softens acidity in foods. Sugar improves the taste of salad dressings, tomato sauces and many other acidic foods by balancing their tartness.
Sugar inhibits mold and yeast growth. Sugar increases the useful life of jams and jellies by binding the water needed by mold and yeast for growth.
Sugar helps foods brown. When bread is toasted or cookies are baked, sugar combines with proteins to produce the appetizing brown color and pleasing aromas."
(source: www.sugar.org/consumers/15_calories.asp?id=47)

Please go to this website and click on: "healthy living" and then "sugar myths". These pages are so absurd to me and downright wrong. I almost fell off my chair laughing. Let me make clear that I am not an expert in biology or chemistry or the science of food. It is interesting when people throw in true statements around their false statement to hide it or legitimize it.

Here is the first thing they say under the "healthy living" tab: "The simple, irrefutable fact is this: Sugar is a healthy part of a diet." Can you believe this? They also say that, "Experts continue to conclude that sugar does not cause diabetes, obesity, hyperactivity or nutrient deficiencies."
I could be wrong, but I thought sugar was closely related these problems, and probably the cause of some. Perhaps these problems come about from eating vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

I think part of the problem is that the word "sugar" is misused. Obviously our bodies need glucose. Sugar turns into glucose. So do other natural sugars. The biggest difference between white refined sugar and natural sugars is this: Natural sugars also have fiber or vitamins or minerals. Because of this, natural sugars take longer to digest, which is a good thing, because it doesn't spike our blood sugar level and our pancreas doesn't have to work overtime to produce insulin.

"Diabetes mellitus refers to the group of diseases that lead to high blood glucose levels due to defects in either insulin secretion or insulin action."
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes)

What white refined sugar (corn syrups, etc.) does to our system is to provide ZERO nutrition, and it has no "buffer" like other vitamins or minerals or fibers to help it digest slowly, so it is digested quickly and prompts the pancreas to work overtime to quickly produce the insulin our body needs for blood sugar levels to be balanced.

Please research this yourself!

I am just getting started on my researching of sugar. I have a long way to go. There is a lot of interesting information out there: web, books, organizations, professionals, etc. Be very careful where you get your information! I have found a lot of websites spouting the evils of sugar, but there are also websites that advocate its use. Those who advocate for it are involved in its production, trade and wholesale.