Uncovering the truth about sugar!

Sugar has become quite a hot topic. Most of us are aware that too much sugar like anything in our diets is not good for us! However, People are often unsure how much is to much? Or should we avoid sugar altogether? 

Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is okay. Plant foods also have high amounts of fiber, essential minerals, and antioxidants, and dairy foods contain protein and calcium.

Since your body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to your cells. A high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Consuming too much sugar?

Problems occur when you consume too much added sugar — that is, sugar that food manufacturers add to products to increase flavour or extend shelf life. the top sources are soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavoured yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and most processed foods. But added sugar is also present in many items that you may not think of as sweetened, like soups, pasta sauces, peanut butter, bread, cured meats, ketchup, and marinades just to name a few.

Many people have become reliant on quick, processed foods for meals and snacks. Since these products often contain added sugar, it makes up a large proportion of their daily calorie intake. The result: we consume way too much added sugar. Adult men take in an average of 24 teaspoons of added sugar per day, according to the National Cancer Institute. That's equal to 384 calories. "Excess sugar's impact on obesity and diabetes is well documented, but there are other associated health impacts that may surprise you.

Impact on your health 

  1. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Large-scale studies have shown that the more high-glycemic foods (those that quickly affect blood sugar), including foods containing sugar, a person consumes, the higher his risk for becoming obese and for developing diabetes and heart disease. 
  2. Sugar causes blood glucose to spike and plummet. Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger. On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.
  3. Emerging research is also suggesting connections between high-glycemic diets and many different forms of cancer
  4. Sugar interferes with immune function. Research on human subjects is scant, but animal studies have shown that sugar suppresses immune response. More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms; however, we do know that bacteria and yeast feed on sugar and that, when these organisms get out of balance in the body, infections and illness are more likely.
  5. A high-sugar diet often results in chromium deficiency. It's sort of a catch-22. If you consume a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates, you probably don't get enough of the trace mineral chromium, and one of chromium's main functions is to help regulate blood sugar. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of Americans don't get enough chromium. Chromium is found in a variety of animal foods, seafood and plant foods. Refining starches and other carbohydrates rob these foods of their chromium supplies. 
  6. Sugar accelerates aging. It even contributes to that telltale sign of aging: sagging skin. Some of the sugar you consume, after hitting your bloodstream, ends up attaching itself to proteins, in a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the loss of elasticity found in aging body tissues, from your skin to your organs and arteries7. The more sugar circulating in your blood, the faster this damage takes hold
  7. Sugar causes tooth decay. With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, it creates decay more efficiently than any other food substance. For a strong visual reminder, next time the Tooth Fairy visits, try the old tooth-in-a-glass-of-Coke experiment—the results will surely convince you that sugar isn't good for your pearly whites.
  8. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can also further contribute to heart disease.
     Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, such as those that result from periodontal problems, play a role in the development of coronary artery disease9. The most popular theory is that the connection is related to widespread effects from the body's inflammatory response to infection.
  9. Sugar affects behaviour and cognition especially in children
  10. Sugar increases stress. When we're under stress, our stress hormone levels rise; these chemicals are the body's fight-or-flight emergency crew, sent out to prepare the body for an attack or an escape. These chemicals are also called into action when blood sugar is low. For example, after a blood-sugar spike (say, from eating a piece of birthday cake), there's a compensatory dive, which causes the body to release stress hormones such as adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol. One of the main things these hormones do is raise blood sugar, providing the body with a quick energy boost. The problem is, these helpful hormones can make us feel anxious, irritable and shaky.
  11. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients, people who consume the most sugar often have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron.

 

Now that you know the negative impacts refined sugar can have on your body and mind, you'll want to be more cautious about the foods you choose. And the first step is getting educated about where sugar lurks—believe it or not, a food needn't even taste all that sweet for it to be loaded with sugar. When it comes to convenience and packaged foods, let the ingredients label be your guide, and be aware that just because a food label boasts that it is low in carbs or a “diet" food, doesn't mean it's healthy or free of sugar. Reading food labels is one of the best ways to monitor your intake of added sugar. Look for the following names for added sugar and try to either avoid, or cut back on the amount or frequency of the foods where they are found:

  • brown sugar
  • corn sweetener
  • corn syrup
  • fruit juice concentrates
  • high-fructose corn syrup
  • honey
  • invert sugar
  • malt sugar
  • molasses
  • syrup sugar molecules ending in "ose" (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).

Total sugar, which includes added sugar, is often listed in grams. Note the number of grams of sugar per serving as well as the total number of servings. "It might only say 5 grams of sugar per serving, but if the normal amount is three or four servings, you can easily consume 20 grams of sugar and thus a lot of added sugar

Also, keep track of sugar you add to your food or beverages. About half of added sugar comes from beverages, including coffee and tea. A study revealed that about two-thirds of coffee drinkers and one-third of tea drinkers put sugar or sugary flavorings in their drinks. The researchers also noted that more than 60% of the calories in their beverages came from added sugar.

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