Salt vs Sugar: Which is More Harmful?

By Dibya Prakash

Ati sarvatra varjayet (Excess should be avoided; too much of anything is harmful). The modern mantra for health enthusiasts is ‘eat everything in moderation.’ We’ve all heard the advice to limit sugar and salt intake due to their potential damage to our body’s proper functioning. Both play important roles, but which is more harmful – in excess?

To this query during a workshop of mid-level young corporates, I simplified the confusion by saying that moderation is the key. Sugar can cause weight gain, insulin resistance, and sometimes even diabetes. Salt, though not harmful in its absolute necessity, tends to cause high blood pressure if consumed in large portions. Both are harmful in excess, and the importance of balancing them becomes important here.

Salt is another term for sodium, which is one of the most important electrolytes required in the human body as it helps in regulating fluids. Salt in modest quantities facilitates the proper function of the body but excess of it can lead to various health problems, such as high blood pressure, which may result in more serious complications like a stroke or heart disease. The suggested quantities indicate that a person should not exceed one teaspoon or 6 grams of salt in a day. However, most people ingest approximately twice the recommended quantity of sodium, as indicated by the World Health Organization.

Sugar has been also demonised due to excessive usage over the years, though sugar is also needed for proper body function. Sugar is a needed fuel: Our bodies take in carbohydrates in food, which our cells burn for fuel as glucose. According to the American Heart Association, no more than 5% of daily calories should come from sugar; for the person on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 6 teaspoons or 30 grams of added sugar per day. In packaged foods, added sugars are the causes of most of the health issues – the extra weight gain, type-2 diabetes, heart diseases, etc. However, it can be claimed that fruits and milk consist of natural occurring sugars.

Consumption of sugars in excess amounts eventually causes insulin resistance, which in turn forces the body to produce more insulin, resulting in the accumulation of fat. It is also a contributing factor toward developing Type-2 diabetes and chances of risk from diseases of heart attacks. Therefore, its intake must be kept low.

Whereas neither sugar nor salt is in itself hazardous when consumed in small quantitates, more sugar seems to have a heavier impact on the whole body. Recent research by US researchers appearing in the online journal ‘Open Heart’ revealed that sugar is worse than salt regarding raising blood pressure and the risk of heart diseases.

So, here are some tips about how you can cut down your salt and sugar intake:

1. Herbs and spices: Use heart-healthy herbs and spices instead of adding extra salt to your dish.
2. Read the labels: Dissolvable tablets which are in some painkillers, vitamin supplements, contain up to 1 g of salt per tablet. Choose the capsule version whenever possible.
3. Reduce Added Sugar: Reduce your teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee, or use a low-calorie natural sweetener.
4. Be on Whole Foods: Instead of using sugar snacks, take a slice of fruit. Fruits will give you vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

To understand the distinction between added and natural sugar is of paramount importance. Natural sugar from fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy are good sugars; added sugar in processed foods, however, contributes to health disorders. Thus, by selecting healthier sources of carbohydrates, avoiding refined sugars, and managing sugar and salt intake appropriately, we can have a healthier life for sure.

(The column Metamorph with Dibya appears every Friday.)

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