SUGARS AND SWEETS

SUGARS AND SWEETS: The Ministry of Health recommends caution when consuming sugar and emphasizes the urgent need to reduce sugar intake. Intake should not exceed one serving a day.

  • What else is written in the Brazilian Food Guide about sugars and sweets?
  • Serving sizes for sugars and sweets
  • Dietetic and cooking techniques: sugars and sweets
  • Cultural and historical curiosities about sugars and sweets
  • Scientific information about sugars and sweets
  • A healthy, appropriate and caring diet
Sweets should only be eaten on special occasions. Occasional consumption of sweets causes pleasure and happiness since it increases the amount of a substance in our bodies associated with the sensation of pleasure and wellbeing. This substance is called serotonin. However, daily consumption of sweets can be compared to frequent consumption of alcohol, and abstinence from sweets, like abstinence from alcohol, causes anxiety, depression and unhappiness. This happens because serotonin production becomes inadequate. The more sweets you eat, the more you will want to eat, and the more anxious you will be if you do not eat a sweet. When a sweet contains fat in addition to sugar, such as chocolate, this effect will be even stronger because of unbalanced production of other mood-related substances. A diet with too much sugar causes obesity, and consequently, hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases. And contrary to what we believed and as seen above, sugar is a cause, not an effect of anxiety. Hence, eat sweets only occasionally and be happier.