We’ve all heard the debate about which is worse, fat or sugar. Some people seem to say fat while others sugar, so which is it really?

It now seems that we have an answer, so it is worth factoring these findings into your diet.

Sugar

Sugar seems to be the worst ingredient for your diet, at least according to the most recent expert findings. While we all know that certain foods like sweets, cakes and biscuits are high in sugar, you may not be aware that sugar is added to loads of other foods too.

It is used as a cheap flavouring in drinks, yoghurts, ready meals, soups and much more. This means that even if your food is labelled as healthy or low in fat, it could actually be high in sugar.

Sugar may provide you with an instant boost of energy due to its high-calorie content, it actually doesn’t have any nutritional benefits. In fact, if you don’t burn off all the sugar calories — which is hard to do as sugar-laden foods tend to be high in calories — the energy gets stored in your body, which can make you put on weight.

This sweet ingredient also affects your blood glucose levels, giving you a sugar high that doesn’t last. If you have a lot of sugar throughout the day, your blood glucose levels can remain consistently high, which can lead to health issues like diabetes.

It is a good idea to limit the amount of sugar you have on a day to day basis and to opt for natural sweeteners instead, such as agave nectar.

Fat

For years, we’ve been told that fat is the main culprit when it comes to an unhealthy diet, but it has now been found that it is not as bad as sugar. Research from several institutions has found that fat is no worse for our health than carbohydrates, suggesting that it is better to opt for food that is low in sugar but higher in fat.

In fact, it has been suggested that maintaining a diet that is low in carbohydrates — which are a form of sugar — but high in fat is actually the better option when it comes to weight loss and management.

This isn’t to say that fat is completely healthy for you, after all, it can still lead to health issues. However, if you opt for ‘healthy’ unsaturated fats, you’ll find that meals are more filling and that your overall diet will be healthier. Certain foods also contain fats that are healthier than others, such as dairy being better than processed meats.

If you want to be on the safe side with either of these ingredients, it is a good idea to only eat them in moderation. Opting for unprocessed, low-calorie food is a good way to make sure you don’t consume too much of either.