Tamil actor Vishnu Vishal, 42, recently shared his views on sugar, saying that it isn’t inherently bad for health. “There is this theory that sugar is not bad. But the combination of sugar and fat is harmful. Just eating fruits is good. You should not mix sugar and fat. If mixed, it becomes poison. Most dishes have sugar and fats, which is a problem. The human body runs on glucose,” he told IBC Mangai , a YouTube channel, in a chat.

Taking a cue from his view, we reached out to an expert.

According to consultant dietitian Garima Goyal, the statement sounds simple, but nutrition science is a little more nuanced than a sugar-versus-fat equation. “There is an important distinction to make first: sugar itself is not inherently toxic, and sugars are an important source of energy. Naturally occurring sugars in whole fruits, vegetables and milk come packaged within nutritious foods . The bigger concern is excessive intake of free sugars, particularly from sweets, sugary beverages and highly processed foods.…