This is a wrong mindset that we mistakenly follow and even passed to our children. A deadly habit that is victimizing helpless and countless lives everyday. The worst victims? The children.
Sugar kills!
Sweet is not sweet after all. It is even considered a white poison.
Sugar contains a lot of calories, but with zero essential nutrients. The calorie in sugar is considered ‘empty’ calorie - calories unaccompanied by fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks are by far the biggest sources of added sugar in our diets.
Understanding Why You Need to Avoid Sugar
1. Risk of Dementia
A diet that is high in sugar and refined carbohydrates is one that keeps on generating high blood glucose, stimulating high insulin levels and provoking insulin resistance. This situation of metabolic dysfunction is what contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
Not all sugar are equal, refined carbs or added-sugar (such as those in white bread, pastries and other processed snacks) are rapidly absorbed and cause a larger, faster insulin response than the natural, like the complex carbs found in green vegetables or whole food.
2. It’s addictive
Sugar stimulates the exchange of the chemicals between our bodies and brains that make us happy. The more sugar we eat or drink, the less of these chemicals we produce on our own, and the more we turn to sweets for that same response — each bite a “kindling of a lifelong craving,” Taubes writes.
3. Link to Heart Disease
Eating too much sugar can lead to excess insulin, which is linked to high blood pressure and, ultimately, heart disease. According to the health and science journalist Gary Taubes, too much insulin stimulates the nervous system, increasing heart rate and constricting blood vessels.
"Most US adults consume more added sugar than is recommended for a healthy diet. We observed a significant relationship between added sugar consumption and increased risk for CVD mortality." So says a major study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
4. Added Sugar Increases the Risk of Developing Cancer
Eating lots of foods that contain sugar means you’re more likely to gain weight. Research shows that obesity increases your cancer risk. Obesity may cause changes in hormone levels which may also put you at a greater risk of developing cancer.
5. Type 2 Diabetes
The harmful effects of sugar on the function of insulin leads to type II diabetes.The Institute of Medicine recommends that added sugar make up less than 25% of total calories, whereas the World Health Organization recommends less than 10%. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories daily for women and 150 calories daily for men.
Where can you find added-sugar?
Sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks are by far the biggest sources of added sugar in the average American’s diet. They account for more than one-third of the added sugar we consume. Other important sources include cookies, cakes, pastries, and similar treats; fruit drinks; ice cream, frozen yogurt and the like; candy; and ready-to-eat cereals.
( Coming soon: How to Avoid Overfeeding Yourself With Sugar During Community Lockdown?)
Sources:
Gary Taubes, The Case Against Sugar
Eating too much added sugar increases the risk of dying with heart disease, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-201402067021
Sugar and Alzheimer’s disease: a bittersweet truth, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731873/
Sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease, https://www.diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/link-between-sugar-and-alzheimers/
The Canadian Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-and-screening/reduce-cancer-risk/make-informed-decisions/myths-and-controversies/sugar/?region=on
Disclaimer: This blog post should not be taken as a professional medical advice. Consult your physician before shifting into new lifestyle or program. This is written for Philippine audience.
About the Author:
I lost my father from Diabetes when I was only 13 years old. Ever since I was in search for the answer on what causes Diabetes? It lead me to creating my own lifestyle and becoming a food and health coach. I recently completed a Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, an online non-credit course authorized by Stanford University.
On my free time, I am a chef. I do my own healthy shopping, grow some herbs and vegetables and cook my own food as much as possible. I had a degree in hotel and restaurant management, that is giving me an extra advantage in the kitchen!