The Truth About Sugar

The truth about sugar isn't all gloom and doom you know, and parts of this article may even cheer you up on the subject.

I admit, that one of my biggest downfalls is my huge appetite for sweets and for anyone else out there who shares the same downfall I thought this is a helpful article to address what happens to our bodies when we eat too many sweets.

But before we get overwhelmed by all the negative problems we can cause to our health,  remember that almost anything in life is about moderation.  

So when we look at the truth about sugar it is important to remember that:

Sugar is Not Bad For You.

Only Too Much Sugar is Bad For You.

The Upside of The Truth About Sugar

There is a big difference between enjoying a little dessert after a meal or eating and drinking high doses of sugar daily.

Seems like everything we eat or do is bad for us these days.

Well Queen Elizabeth has always enjoyed her jams (which are laden with sugar) on her breads and enjoys desserts too on a daily basis and she's almost 100 years old and still looks great.

Even her Queen Mother who enjoyed a couple of cocktails on a daily basis died at the ripe old age of 101.

And then there’s Jeanne Calment, the French lady who lived to be a 122 years old.

Though Jeanne was very physically active she still enjoyed some of the things in life that we now may frown upon.

Beside the occasional glass of wine she also enjoyed desserts.  Her favorites were pound cake and vanilla ice cream.  She also smoked 2 cigarettes a day from the age of 21 to 117.  

I believe there are two main elements that help us live a longer life.

First, one must have good genes and the second is to live within moderation.

The Down Side of The Truth About Sugar

So now we go to the part of the article that describes all the horrible health problems we may develop when we eat too much sugar.

Too Much Sugar Can Cause Heart Disease

According to a study originally posted on February 6, 2014 by Harvard Medical School, a diet high in sugar increases your risk of dying of heart disease, even when you are not overweight.  (A major study published in JAMA Internal Medicine came up with that result).

It was a 15 year study that showed if your diet consisted of 25% or more daily calories from sugar you were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease compared to those people whose diet included less than 10% sugar intake.  

According to this study this held true regardless of a person’s sex, age, weight or physical activity.

Earlier research has also shown that sugary drinks (like sodas or pop) can also raise a person’s blood pressure.

May Harm Your Liver

For those of you who avoid drinking alcohol in excess and praise yourself, you should.  But, if you eat lots of refined sugar you can still do great harm to your liver.

Some people develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by eating too much sugar.  

This happens because the liver can become resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps the body convert sugar into energy.  If your body becomes resistant to insulin, this can also lead to type 2 diabetes.

May Cause Weight Gain

We all know that eating sugar means lots of empty calories and the key word here is empty.  Sugar is a stimulant that offers zero nutrition to the body.  It only offers unnecessary calories that lead to weight gain and a quick surge of energy that is followed by energy loss and fatigue.

The Pancreas and Type 2 Diabetes

The pancreas’s job is to produce insulin.  When you overwhelm your body with too much sugar our bodies stop responding properly to insulin and this makes the pancreas produce even more insulin.  

The outcome is an overworked pancreas and an increase in blood sugar levels that may lead to heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes.

Sugar Lowers Immunity

Sadly the chemistry behind this one is real.  When we consume too much refined sugar an excess of bacteria and yeast also grow. 

The bacteria and yeast feed on those sugars and grow in numbers which can cause all kinds of health issues from catching the common cold easier, to more serious infections or sicknesses.

Not Great for Your Teeth

For years parents and dentists have warned us that eating too many sweets will literally rot your teeth.  This happens because sugar left in your mouth attracts the bacteria that cause cavities. 

Refined sugar also breaks down the enamel of your teeth. Try to avoid sugary sodas and if you eat something sugary, brushing your teeth afterwards is a good idea.

Can Elevate Stress Levels and Mood Swings

When you eat a sweet treat like a chocolate bar, your blood sugar will spike right up, but shortly after will come crashing down.  This loss of energy may elevate stress levels while also experiencing fatigue.  

When your blood levels crash your body creates stress hormones to help balance out the problem by releasing hormones such as adrenaline and epinephrine.

It’s quite simply because of the highs and lows of the sugar in your body.  These fluctuations may cause energy imbalances, mood swings and irritability.

Causes Inflammation

Yes, eating lots of sugar can create or increase inflammation in the body.  This can cause a long list of problems, especially for those people who may already be coping with an inflammatory disease such as arthritis, joint pain, heart disease and a long list of others.

Many studies have been done including The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which warns that refined sugars will trigger the release of inflammatory cytokines.

May Hinder Learning in Kids

Let’s face it most of us have witnessed what happens to our kids when they've consumed too much sugar.  At times it’s a complete out of control energy that usually is not pleasant.  It can limit their focus when learning and with everyday social interactions.

No wonder many schools around the country are removing vending machines that carry sugary sodas and sugary snacks.

 Tips -  The Truth About Sugar:

Eat and drink sweets in moderation.  

Consider portion size.

One of the biggest and easiest culprits to overlook is sugary drinks.  That’s because we can consume so many of them throughout the day without notice.

If you cannot avoid sugary drinks and treats, than moderation is the next best thing.

Thinking of doing a sugar detox after reading this article  - The Truth About Sugar?

Then click this link to see the video by Dr. Hyman to help achieve a sugar detox.

Wishing you all health and happiness!

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