Many health-conscious people replace white sugar with honey jaggery or brown sugar believing these options are safer. However leading hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips popularly known as The Liver Doc has clarified that this belief is largely misleading. According to him the liver and pancreas process these sweeteners almost the same way as refined sugar.
In a recent social media post Dr Philips explained that switching to so called natural sweeteners does not protect the body from sugar related harm. The real focus should be on reducing overall sugar intake rather than changing its source. He highlighted that while honey jaggery and brown sugar may appear less processed they still deliver high amounts of glucose and fructose which affect insulin and liver health in a similar manner.
Dr Philips referred to international and Indian nutrition guidelines which recommend strict daily limits on sugar consumption. The World Health Organization advises keeping sugar below ten percent of daily calories while Indian guidelines suggest an ideal target of five percent. The American Heart Association also sets defined limits for men and women. These limits apply equally to white sugar brown sugar honey and jaggery.
He further explained that the minerals often promoted in brown sugar and jaggery such as iron calcium and potassium are present in extremely small amounts. Consuming enough of these sweeteners to gain nutritional benefit would require dangerously high sugar intake which would do more harm than good. Even honey which has a slightly lower glycaemic index can still cause significant insulin spikes.
Dr Philips also warned about the misleading ratings often given to natural sweeteners by wellness influencers. He stated that honey and jaggery should not be considered healthy substitutes and deserve scores close to white sugar due to their metabolic effects. On artificial sweeteners like stevia he pointed out that recent WHO guidelines advise against their use for weight control and long term disease prevention due to possible side effects and interactions.
His message is clear moderation is key and no form of sugar should be consumed under the assumption that it is harmless simply because it is natural.
