We all know we should eat less sugar. However, food manufacturers tend to sneak sugar into just about everything, making it difficult to know how much we are consuming. Plus, sugar tastes good. Nevertheless, it’s worth the effort to cut back on added sugar as much as you can.
The Research:
Natural sugars found in fruit and added sugars affect the body differently. Fruit contains a high amount of fiber, which slows absorption of sugar. Added sugar though, is rapidly absorbed by the body which causes blood sugar levels to spike. This can lead to issues like insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. It also increases our triglycerides, which can lead to plaque buildup in our veins. Added sugar has also been linked to promote metabolic syndrome.
This can increase your risk for diseases like diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. Making it especially dangerous, sugar spikes dopamine levels in the brain, causing you to want more and more. Furthermore, sugar can cause a lot of problems with your teeth too. You’ll be taking endless trips to Dentist Fort Wayne to have fillings if you eat too much sugar, so it’s really important you monitor how much you’re eating and brush your teeth well.
Besides, when people develop problems like diabetes, they are often accompanied by a slew of other issues. For example, if you have diabetes, high blood sugar (blood glucose) levels can cause structural changes in the lens of the eye, which can speed up the development of cataracts. Older people, those who have difficulty with glycemic control, and people who have had diabetes for a long time are more likely to develop cataracts, which may necessitate surgery to correct your vision while figuring out the cataract surgery cost.
Hence, it is preferable to avoid added sugar in the first place to circumvent developing these issues.
Conclusion:
The research clearly shows that there are many negative health effects caused by added sugar. This is especially concerning considering that there’s no nutritional benefit to eating/ drinking it. So it is important to track how much sugar you are having. Here’s what to look for on nutrition labels:
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 grams of added sugar a day for women and 36 grams of added sugar for men. But cutting back even more is better. Good luck!
