Sugar: Slow-Motion Suicide

A selection of articles describing the negative health impacts of sugar

 

Why Sugar Is Worse for You Than Tobacco

Everything you don’t want but need to hear.

Jennifer Hayashi

Northeastern

Downloaded from Internet 3/29/19

Eat less, exercise more. A calorie is a calorie. Everything in moderation. That’s what everyone tells you to do.

What if I were to tell you that these tips on “healthy living” were wrong? That perhaps exercise is not the key to losing weight, or not all calories are created equal.

Recently, research has shown that processed sugar, an ingredient in 80% of our grocery store items, could be the fuel to the United States’ top two causes of death, heart disease, and cancer. Sugar, the thing we sprinkle on our coffee and the reliable cure to our heartbreak, is now directly linked to these diseases, which are more common than chronic respiratory disease, the product of smoking tobacco. Before you begin to shout obscenities at me, read on and learn a bit about the poison that is sugar.

Sugar as a Toxin

We’ve always grown up learning that too much sugar is unhealthy, but in moderation it’s fine. But bear with me as I explain how your body processes a calorie of processed sugar and you may end up changing your mind.

Whether the sweetener is high-fructose corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, or any other sweetener, it is composed of glucose and fructose. When eaten, glucose acts as the energy source for all of our cells, allowing us to function.

On the other hand, fructose is sent solely to our liver. When there’s too much of it, it immediately gets turned into fat. When this occurs over and over again insulin levels rise, fat accumulates in the liver and blood, and the likelihood of obesity, diabetes, and cancer increases. Now before you say, “Oh well, I just won’t go over that fructose limit…“ or “Everything causes cancer,” let me go over a couple more facts.

In March 2015, the World Health Organisation recommended that individuals should not be consuming more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day; as of today, the average American eats 22 teaspoons of sugar a day and over 50% are consuming more than 53 per day. It’s safe to say the average liver is constantly over its fructose limit.

As for the cancerous aspect, it is widely-accepted that high levels of insulin and obesity increase one’s chances of malignant cancer. And it makes sense, because as the world’s sugar consumption has increased over the past decades, so have the staggering rates of cancer.

Now some of you may be thinking, “Oh but I’m thin, not obese, and don’t have diabetes.” But if your diet consists of excess sugar, you’re still prone to these diseases due to visceral fat, a dangerous fat surrounding the abdominal organs that doesn’t always expose itself.

At this point some of you may think I’m being overdramatic. And believe me, as a sweets addict myself, these are not facts I like to hear either. However, these statistics are very real and it’s the heavy shock of it all that makes it sound like an exaggeration. But if it’s at all possible that we can reduce the risk of the world’s most lethal problems by simply cutting down on sugar, why not?

Sugar as a Mind-Game

Some of you probably clicked on this link after seeing the words sugar and tobacco, a drug whose industry was demonized for being addictive and extremely unhealthy. Well we’ve already learned of sugar’s adverse effects on one’s health, but there’s no way we can be addicted to sugar. We can all quit whenever we want to. Right?

One study recently examined rats and their preference between cocaine and sugar. 94% of the time, sugar proved more addictive than cocaine. And when we look at the neuroscience behind sugar in the brain, it’s actually not too surprising.

When humans even see sugar, our brain gets a rush of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain associated with pleasure and taking action towards these pleasurable rewards. Then, when we eat sugar, our natural opioids and beta-endorphins rush to the brain, similar to someone on cocaine or heroin. Talk about a sugar high. So if sugar induces the same addictive pathways as harmful illegal substances, why are we denying our addiction to this everyday crystal and why are we not taking it seriously?

Sugar as… Everything

Processed sugars are everywhere. Besides some of the obvious culprits like soda and candy, it’s hidden in our granola, yogurt, condiments, bread, milk, and other “healthy” foods.

One recent documentary had Damon Gameau, a previously sugar-avoidant healthy male, on a diet of “healthy” foods that included the amount of processed sugar the average teenage male consumes per day. In just one month, Damon gained 18 pounds, accumulated noticeable visceral fat, and developed dangerous levels of fat in the blood and liver. Aside from physical aspects, Damon felt lethargic, mentally foggy, and constantly craving “hits” of sugar to keep him going. This is all in just one month, from what society tells us are “healthy” foods.

Well, now what?

What I don’t want to do, and what the food industries and government are trying to do, is tell you that it’s your fault. This is how big companies like Coca-Cola get by with making billions of dollars off of a product they know people are addicted to. Industry giants fund their own sugar research and blame their customers’ lack of exercise and self-control for the obesity epidemic. Even companies selling bread and soup, products where sugar has no right to be, prey on their customers by adding sugar to their products to make them more irresistible.

It is not our fault that these companies are willing to sacrifice our health for their profit.

I’m not telling you to cut sugar out completely, as it’s hard not to go insane when it constantly surrounds and taunts us. But what I am encouraging is a change of perspective on processed sugar and its role in our everyday life.

Should we treat a cupcake as just one cigarette? Should we eat a donut with the acknowledgement that it can lead to addiction, health problems, and even death? Should we put warning labels on our sodas and candy bars? Who knows. But the not-so-sweet truth of it is that sugar is a toxic poison that we need to think twice about before taking our next “hit.”

 

10 Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad for Your Health

Downloaded from Internet 3/29/19

The cornerstone of the Atkins lifestyle is limiting carbs—the compounds that make up the sugars in foods. But why is that sugar bad for you? We’re letting you in on some of the secrets behind the effects of sugar on the body.

1. Sugar causes glucose levels to spike and plummet.

Unstable blood sugar can leave you experiencing mood swings, fatigue, and headaches. It also contributes to cravings, which begins the cycle of false hunger. By contrast, those who avoid sugar report having fewer cravings while feeling more emotionally balanced and energized.

2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

While we all like to indulge once in a while, foods that quickly affect blood sugar contribute to a greater risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Emerging research also suggests connections between these high-glycemic diets and various forms of cancer. These effects are often a result of added sugars working in your body, so be sure to read those nutrition labels.

3. Your immune function can be affected by sugar.

As if being sick wasn’t bad enough, studies have shown that sugar can interfere with the way your body fights disease. Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up and cause infections.

4. A high-sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency.

Chromium, a trace mineral, helps regulate blood sugar in the body. While it can be found in meats, seafood, and plant foods, 90% of Americans still don’t get enough chromium because of refining starches. Other carbohydrates can also rob foods of their chromium supplies, so limiting your carbs is your best bet for increasing those mineral levels.

5. Sugar accelerates aging.

While you probably know that sugars can affect your body composition, they can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.

6. Sugar causes tooth decay.

With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic cosmetic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, sugar causes decay more efficiently than any other food. It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day to stop sugars from fueling plaque and bacteria.

7. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.

Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, like those that result from dental problems, play a role in the development of heart disease. Most researchers believe that the connection stems from the body’s inflammatory response to infection. Luckily, this works both ways. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will decrease your risk of common illnesses, which reduces the chance that they’ll become a more serious condition later on.

8. Sugar affects cognition in children.

Let’s not forget about our little ones! When New York City public schools reduced the amount of sugar in their lunches and breakfasts, their academic ranking increased 15.7% (previously, the greatest improvement ever seen had been 1.7%). The study also eliminated artificial colors, synthetic flavoring, and two preservatives, showing the importance of natural ingredients for children.

9. Sugar increases stress.

When we’re under stress, our bodies immediately kick into fight-or-flight mode, releasing large amounts of hormones. Surprisingly, the body has the same chemical response when blood sugar is low. After you eat a sweet snack, stress hormones begin to compensate for the crash by raising your blood sugar. The result? Unexplained anxiousness, irritability, and even shakiness.

10. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.

According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamins A, C, B-12, and calcium. The trade-off is especially dangerous for children and teens, who simultaneously consume the most sugar and need the most nutrients.

Now that you understand the negative effects of sugar on your body and mind, it’s time to be more careful when choosing foods. The first step is getting educated about how to find added sugars. When it comes to convenience and packaged foods, let the ingredients label be your guide—you’d be surprised how many low carb or “diet” foods contain added sugar.

Selected References

12. Bell, S.J., Sears, B., “Low-glycemic-load diets: impact on obesity and chronic diseases.” Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, 43(4), 2003, pages 357-77.
13. Michaud, D.S., Liu, S., Giovannucci, E., et al., “Dietary Sugar, Glycemic Load, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in a Prospective Study.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 94(17), 2002, pages 1293-1300.
14. Romieu, I., Lazcano-Ponce, E., Sanchez-Zamorano, L.M., et al., “Carbohydrates and the Risk of Breast Cancer Among Mexican Women.” Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers Preview, 13(8), 2004, pages 1283-1289.
15. Franceschi, S., Dal Maso, L., Augustin, L., et al., “Dietary Glycemic Load and Colorectal Cancer Risk.” Annals of Oncology, 12(2), 2001, pages 173-178.
16. Nutter, R.L., Gridley, D.S., Kettering, J.D., et al., “Modification of a transplantable colon tumor and immune responses in mice fed different sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate.” Cancer Letters, 18(1), 1983, pages 49-62.
17. “Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc.” Institute of Medicine, Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 2001.
18. Sensi, M., Pricci, F., Andreani, D., et al., “Advanced Nonenzymatic Glycation Endproducts (AGE): Their Relevance to Aging and the Pathogenesis of Late Diabetic Complications.” Diabetes Research, 16(1), 1991, pages 1-9.
19. “Dental Caries and Its Complications: Tooth Decay.” In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, edited by Robert Berkow, et al. Rahway, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 1992.
20. Geerts, S.O., Legrand, V., Charpentier, J., et al. “Further evidence of the association between periodontal conditions and coronary artery disease.” Journal of Periodontology, 75(9), 2004, pages 1274-80.
21. Wolraich, M.L., Wilson, D.B., White, J.W, “The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis.” JAMA, 274 (20), 1995, pages 1617-21.
22. Schoenthaler, S.J., Doraz, W.E., Wakefield, J.A., “The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools.” International Journal of Biosocial Research, 8(2), 1986, pages 185-195.
23. Bowman, S.A., “Diets of Individuals Based on Energy Intakes From Added Sugars.” Family Economics and Nutrition Review, 12(2), 1999, pages 31-38.

 

Just How Bad Is Sugar For You, Really?

BY KRISTEN DOMONELL

OCTOBER 30, 2017

Your sweet tooth may be sabotaging your health

Eating a high-sugar diet can have serious consequences for your mental and physical health.

Even the healthiest people aren’t exempt from sugar’s negative side effects.

Sugar’s addictive qualities make it difficult to avoid.

Learning to spot added sugars can help you limit your intake.

If you were to name something in your diet that causes inflammation or health problems, things like gluten, dairy or soy might come to mind. But what about sugar?

It’s true that some people are gluten or dairy intolerant, but lots of people can also handle eating those things just fine. Sugar is a different story, says Heidi Turner, M.S., R.D.N., a medical nutrition therapist at The Seattle Arthritis Clinic.

“Sugar is the universal inflammatory,” says Turner, who specializes in anti-inflammatory diets to help reduce the pain and symptoms related to autoimmune conditions and inflammatory arthritis. “Everyone is sugar intolerant.”

Why exactly is sugar so bad for you and so hard to avoid? Here’s what you should know about the added sugar that’s lurking in your diet.

What is added sugar?

When we talk about sugar in the context of your health, we aren’t talking about those sweet strawberries you tossed on your salad for lunch. Sugar that’s naturally occurring in food isn’t an issue, says Turner.

If you eat a piece of fruit, for example, you’re not only consuming sugar (in the form of fructose), but also fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. All of these things help feed the healthy bacteria in your gut and help your body metabolize the sugar found in the fruit. Instead of craving more and more sugar, you’ll stay satiated for a longer period without the massive blood sugar spikes from consuming a treat with a bunch of refined sugar, she says.

The real problem is added sugar that manufacturers put in food during the production process, either to sweeten it or enhance the flavor in some other way, says Michael Schwartz, M.D., director of the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute and the Nutrition Obesity Research Center.

“There aren’t really many sources of pure sugar in nature,” he says. “And so what’s different about table sugar is that we’re getting a dose of it in a pure form. That is not something that we evolved to do.”

How added sugar messes up your body

The average American consumes 94 grams of added sugar per day, says Turner. The recommendation for women is no more than 25 grams—or 6 teaspoons—of added sugar per day. Men should have no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day, and for children, just 12 grams—about one can of soda’s worth of sugar—is more than enough, she says.

Eating a diet that’s high in added sugar is bad news for your heart, according to a major 2014 study. The researchers found that eating more than the recommended amount of added sugar may increase your risk of dying from heart disease. Even if you go to the gym and eat your greens regularly, you aren’t immune from the effects of sugar on your health. Eating a high-sugar diet can set you up for disease, even if you’re otherwise healthy, according to a new study. Researchers found unhealthy levels of fat in the blood and livers of men who ate a high-sugar diet, which may increase the risk of heart disease, they report.

And while many people eat sugar as a pick-me-up, it could be having the opposite effect. One recent study found that men who ate a high-sugar diet were more likely to develop depression or anxiety than those who ate a diet lower in sugar.

Sugar is everywhere

Unfortunately, giving up your sugar habit isn’t as easy as deciding to stop adding it to your coffee or saying “no thanks” to the dessert menu. Sugar is hiding out where you least expect it—in everything from dressings and sauces to whole grain bread.

Someday you won’t have to guess whether the sugar you’re eating is naturally occurring or added. The Food and Drug Administration’s redesigned Nutrition Facts label will require food manufacturers to specifically call out added sugars on their packaging.

The mandate was originally scheduled for July 2018, but the FDA released a proposal on September 29 that will extend compliance dates. Manufacturers with more than $10 million or more in annual food sales would have until January 1, 2020 to comply, while those with less than $10 million in food sales would have until January 1, 2021.

In the meantime, you can still spot added sugars by doing a deeper dive into ingredient lists, says Turner. Added sugar can masquerade as many other things, including brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, honey, maple syrup, molasses, or anything that ends in ose, including high fructose corn syrup.

Some of these sugars, including honey, maple syrup and molasses, aren’t as refined. Some people believe that this means they’re healthier, but at the end of the day, it’s all added sugar, says Turner.

“There’s a thought process that if there’s more nutrition to the sugar then it’s going to behave in the body differently, but it’s still added sugar,” she says. “Some are better metabolized in the body than others, but we’re really trying to reduce the overall added sugars brought into the body.”

In other words, if you’re forced to choose between white table sugar and honey, go for the honey. But if it’s a choice between honey or no sugar at all, going sugar-free is your best bet.

Why quitting sugar is so darn hard

Are you ready to quit sugar cold turkey? Good luck. Not only is sugar-free food hard to find, but evolutionary and cultural influences come into play, too.

Back when food was way scarcer, our ancient ancestors needed to take every advantage they had to consume high calorie foods. So the human brain evolved to perceive sugar—and fat—as very rewarding, says Schwartz. Today, our brains are still wired for feast or famine, even though you can buy thousands of calories of food for a couple bucks at the local convenience store.

Schwartz agrees that sugar can cause major health problems, but says it isn’t acting alone. The most potent way to activate the brain’s reward system is actually by combining sugar with fat, he says. And much of the American diet contains both of these components.

That’s why one bite of ice cream never feels like enough and before you know it, you’re looking at the bottom of a pint. Or why you find McDonald’s french fries so hard to resist—the ingredient list includes both dextrose, an added sugar, and fat in the form of canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil and hydrogenated soybean oil. Dip those fries in ketchup and you’re getting even more sugar—this time high fructose corn syrup.

“I wouldn’t say people become dependent on it in the way they become dependent on a drug,” says Schwartz. “But for some people, the anticipation of eating something that is highly rewarding becomes an important focus for how they live each day.”

Addictive qualities aside, there’s also a large social element at play, says Turner. Bad day? Turn to sugar. Celebration at work? Just add sugar. It’s both delicious and comforting, which is part of the reason it’s so hard to get away from, she says.

“Who doesn’t know sugar is bad for them? We know that, but what we’re up against are cultural, addictive, emotional and habitual pieces—and that is the bridge between what we know and what we actually do,” she says. “It’s not easy and therein lies the issue.”

 

How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body?

By Locke Hughes

Downloaded from Internet 3/29/19

Chances are you already know that eating too much sugar isn’t good for you. Yet you’re probably still overdoing it: Americans average about 20 teaspoons of added sugars per day, compared to the recommended 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. (That doesn’t include sugar found naturally in foods like fruits and milk.)

Sugary drinks, candy, baked goods, and sweetened dairy are the main sources of added sugar. But even savory foods, like breads, tomato sauce, and protein bars, can have sugar, making it all too easy to end up with a surplus of the sweet stuff. To complicate it further, added sugars can be hard to spot on nutrition labels since they can be listed under a number of names, such as corn syrup, agave nectar, palm sugar, cane juice, or sucrose. (See more names for sugar on the graphic below.)

No matter what it’s called, sugar is sugar, and it can negatively affect your body in many ways. Here’s a closer look at how sugar can mess with your health, from head to toe.

Your Brain

Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine, which explains why you’re more likely to crave a candy bar at 3 p.m. than an apple or a carrot. Because whole foods like fruits and veggies don’t cause the brain to release as much dopamine, your brain starts to need more and more sugar to get that same feeling of pleasure. This causes those “gotta-have-it” feelings for your after-dinner ice cream that are so hard to tame.

Your Mood

The occasional candy or cookie can give you a quick burst of energy (or “sugar high”) by raising your blood sugar levels fast. When your levels drop as your cells absorb the sugar, you may feel jittery and anxious (a.k.a. the dreaded “sugar crash”). But if you’re reaching into the candy jar too often, sugar starts to have an effect on your mood beyond that 3 p.m. slump: Studies have linked a high sugar intake to a greater risk of depression in adults.

Your Teeth

You probably rolled your eyes at age 12, but your mother was right: Candy can rot your teeth. Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar lingering in your mouth after you eat something sweet.

Your Joints

If you have joint pain, here’s more reason to lay off the candy: Eating lots of sweets has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation they cause in the body. Plus, studies show that sugar consumption can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Your Skin

Another side effect of inflammation: It may make your skin age faster. Sugar attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and creates harmful molecules called “AGEs,” or advanced glycation end products. These molecules do exactly what they sound like they do: age your skin. They have been shown to damage collagen and elastin in your skin — protein fibers that keep your skin firm and youthful. The result? Wrinkles and saggy skin.

Your Liver

An abundance of added sugar may cause your liver to become resistant to insulin, an important hormone that helps turn sugar in your bloodstream into energy. This means your body isn’t able to control your blood sugar levels as well, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Your Heart

When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect your arteries, part of your body’s circulatory system. It causes their walls to grow faster than normal and get tense, which adds stress to your heart and damages it over time. This can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Research also suggests that eating less sugar can help lower blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. Plus, people who eat a lot of added sugar (where at least 25% of their calories comes from added sugar) are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those whose diets include less than 10% of total calories from added sugar.

Your Pancreas

When you eat, your pancreas pumps out insulin. But if you’re eating way too much sugar and your body stops responding properly to insulin, your pancreas starts pumping out even more insulin. Eventually, your overworked pancreas will break down and your blood sugar levels will rise, setting you up for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Your Kidneys

If you have diabetes, too much sugar can lead to kidney damage. The kidneys play an important role in filtering your blood sugar. Once blood sugar levels reach a certain amount, the kidneys start to let excess sugar into your urine. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can damage the kidneys, which prevents them from doing their job in filtering out waste in your blood. This can lead to kidney failure.

Your Body Weight

This probably isn’t news to you, but the more sugar you eat, the more you’ll weigh. Research shows that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages tend to weigh more — and be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes — than those who don’t. One study even found that people who increased their sugar intake gained about 1.7 pounds in less than 2 months.

Your Sexual Health

You may want to skip the dessert on date night: Sugar may impact the chain of events needed for an erection. “One common side effect of chronically high levels of sugar in the bloodstream is that it can make men impotent,” explains Brunilda Nazario, MD, WebMD’s associate medical editor. This is because it affects your circulatory system, which controls the blood flow throughout your body and needs to be working properly to get and keep an erection.

11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You

From marinara sauce to peanut butter, added sugar can be found in even the most unexpected products.

Many people rely 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.

In the US, added sugars account for up to 17% of the total calorie intake of adults and up to 14% for children (1).

Dietary guidelines suggest limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10% per day (2).

Experts believe that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and many chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

 

Here are 11 reasons why eating too much sugar is bad for your health.

June 3, 2018

1. Can Cause Weight Gain

Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.

Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar.

Consuming fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods (3).

Additionally, excessive fructose consumption may cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating (4).

In other words, sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain.

Research has consistently shown that people who drink sugary beverages, such as soda and juice, weigh more than people who don’t (5).

Also, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease (6).

SUMMARY

Consuming too much added sugar, especially from sugary beverages, increases your risk of weight gain and can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

2. May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease

High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide (7).

Evidence suggests that high-sugar diets can lead to obesity, inflammation and high triglyceride, blood sugar and blood pressure levels — all risk factors for heart disease (8).

Additionally, consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits (9).

A study in over 30,000 people found that those who consumed 17–21% of calories from added sugar had a 38% greater risk of dying from heart disease, compared to those consuming only 8% of calories from added sugar (10).

Just one 16-ounce (473-ml) can of soda contains 52 grams of sugar, which equates to more than 10% of your daily calorie consumption, based on a 2,000-calorie diet (11).

This means that one sugary drink a day can already put you over the recommended daily limit for added sugar.

SUMMARY

Consuming too much added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

3. Has Been Linked to Acne

A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.

Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index.

Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development (12).

Studies have shown that low-glycemic diets are associated with a reduced acne risk, while high-glycemic diets are linked to a greater risk (13).

For example, a study in 2,300 teens demonstrated that those who frequently consumed added sugar had a 30% greater risk of developing acne (14).

Also, many population studies have shown that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have almost non-existent rates of acne, compared to more urban, high-income areas (15).

These findings coincide with the theory that diets high in processed, sugar-laden foods contribute to the development of acne.

SUMMARY

High-sugar diets can increase androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which can raise your risk of developing acne.

4. Increases Your Risk of Diabetes

The worldwide prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled over the past 30 years (16).

Though there are many reasons for this, there is a clear link between excessive sugar consumption and diabetes risk.

Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes (17).

What’s more, prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels.

Insulin resistance causes blood sugar levels to rise and strongly increases your risk of diabetes.

A population study comprising over 175 countries found that the risk of developing diabetes grew by 1.1% for every 150 calories of sugar, or about one can of soda, consumed per day (18).

Other studies have also shown that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit juice, are more likely to develop diabetes (19, 20).

SUMMARY

A high-sugar diet may lead to obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are risk factors for diabetes.

5. May Increase Your Risk of Cancer

Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

First, a diet rich in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly raises your risk of cancer (21).

Furthermore, diets high in sugar increase inflammation in your body and may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk (22).

A study in over 430,000 people found that added sugar consumption was positively associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, pleural cancer and cancer of the small intestine (23).

Another study showed that women who consumed sweet buns and cookies more than three times per week were 1.42 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than women who consumed these foods less than 0.5 times per week (24).

Research on the link between added sugar intake and cancer is ongoing, and more studies are needed to fully understand this complex relationship.

SUMMARY

Too much sugar can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for cancer.

6. May Increase Your Risk of Depression

While a healthy diet can help improve your mood, a diet high in added sugar and processed foods may increase your chances of developing depression.

Consuming a lot of processed foods, including high-sugar products such as cakes and sugary drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of depression (25, 26).

Researchers believe that blood sugar swings, neurotransmitter dysregulation and inflammation may all be reasons for sugar’s detrimental impact on mental health (27).

A study following 8,000 people for 22 years showed that men who consumed 67 grams or more of sugar per day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who ate less than 40 grams per day (28).

Another study in over 69,000 women demonstrated that those with the highest intakes of added sugars had a significantly greater risk of depression, compared to those with the lowest intakes (29).

SUMMARY

A diet rich in added sugar and processed foods may increase depression risk in both men and women.

7. May Accelerate the Skin Aging Process

Wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. They appear eventually, regardless of your health.

However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed the skin aging process.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein in your body. They are suspected to play a key role in skin aging (30).

Consuming a diet high in refined carbs and sugar leads to the production of AGEs, which may cause your skin to age prematurely (31).

AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help the skin stretch and keep its youthful appearance.

When collagen and elastin become damaged, the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag.

In one study, women who consumed more carbs, including added sugars, had a more wrinkled appearance than women on a high-protein, lower-carb diet (32).

The researchers concluded that a lower intake of carbs was associated with better skin-aging appearance (32).

SUMMARY

Sugary foods can increase the production of AGEs, which can accelerate skin aging and wrinkle formation.

8. Can Increase Cellular Aging

Telomeres are structures found at the end of chromosomes, which are molecules that hold part or all of your genetic information.

Telomeres act as protective caps, preventing chromosomes from deteriorating or fusing together.

As you grow older, telomeres naturally shorten, which causes cells to age and malfunction (33).

Although the shortening of telomeres is a normal part of aging, unhealthy lifestyle choices can speed up the process.

Consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to accelerate telomere shortening, which increases cellular aging (34).

A study in 5,309 adults showed that regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with shorter telomere length and premature cellular aging (35).

In fact, each daily 20-ounce (591-ml) serving of sugar-sweetened soda equated to 4.6 additional years of aging, independent of other variables (35).

SUMMARY

Eating too much sugar can accelerate the shortening of telomeres, which increases cellular aging.

9. Drains Your Energy

Foods high in added sugar quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased energy.

However, this rise in energy levels is fleeting.

Products that are loaded with sugar but lacking in protein, fiber or fat lead to a brief energy boost that’s quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, often referred to as a crash (36).

Having constant blood sugar swings can lead to major fluctuations in energy levels (37).

To avoid this energy-draining cycle, choose carb sources that are low in added sugar and rich in fiber.

Pairing carbs with protein or fat is another great way to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable.

For example, eating an apple along with a small handful of almonds is an excellent snack for prolonged, consistent energy levels.

SUMMARY

High-sugar foods can negatively impact your energy levels by causing a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash.

10. Can Lead to Fatty Liver

A high intake of fructose has been consistently linked to an increased risk of fatty liver.

Unlike glucose and other types of sugar, which are taken up by many cells throughout the body, fructose is almost exclusively broken down by the liver.

In the liver, fructose is converted into energy or stored as glycogen.

However, the liver can only store so much glycogen before excess amounts are turned into fat.

Large amounts of added sugar in the form of fructose overload your liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by excessive fat buildup in the liver (38).

A study in over 5,900 adults showed that people who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily had a 56% higher risk of developing NAFLD, compared to people who did not (39).

SUMMARY

Eating too much sugar may lead to NAFLD, a condition in which excessive fat builds up in the liver.

11. Other Health Risks

Aside from the risks listed above, sugar can harm your body in countless other ways.

Research shows that too much added sugar can:

Increase kidney disease risk: Having consistently high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the delicate blood vessels in your kidneys. This can lead to an increased risk of kidney disease (40).

Negatively impact dental health: Eating too much sugar can cause cavities. Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and release acid byproducts, which cause tooth demineralization (41).

Increase the risk of developing gout: Gout is an inflammatory condition characterized by pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk of developing or worsening gout (42).

Accelerate cognitive decline: High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and have been linked to an increased risk of dementia (43).

Research on the impact of added sugar on health is ongoing, and new discoveries are constantly being made.

SUMMARY

Consuming too much sugar may worsen cognitive decline, increase gout risk, harm your kidneys and cause cavities.

How to Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Excessive added sugar has many negative health effects.

Although consuming small amounts now and then is perfectly healthy, you should try to cut back on sugar whenever possible.

Fortunately, simply focusing on eating whole, unprocessed foods automatically decreases the amount of sugar in your diet.

Here are some tips on how to reduce your intake of added sugars:

Swap sodas, energy drinks, juices and sweetened teas for water or unsweetened seltzer.

Drink your coffee black or use Stevia for a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.

Sweeten plain yogurt with fresh or frozen berries instead of buying flavored, sugar-loaded yogurt.

Consume whole fruits instead of sugar-sweetened fruit smoothies.

Replace candy with a homemade trail mix of fruit, nuts and a few dark chocolate chips.

Use olive oil and vinegar in place of sweet salad dressings like honey mustard.

Choose marinades, nut butters, ketchup and marinara sauce with zero added sugars.

Look for cereals, granolas and granola bars with under 4 grams of sugar per serving.

Swap your morning cereal for a bowl of rolled oats topped with nut butter and fresh berries, or an omelet made with fresh greens.

Instead of jelly, slice fresh bananas onto your peanut butter sandwich.

Use natural nut butters in place of sweet spreads like Nutella.

Avoid alcoholic beverages that are sweetened with soda, juice, honey, sugar or agave.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, focusing on fresh, whole ingredients.

In addition, keeping a food diary is an excellent way of becoming more aware of the main sources of sugar in your diet.

The best way to limit your added sugar intake is to prepare your own healthy meals at home and avoid buying foods and drinks that are high in added sugar.

SUMMARY

Focusing on preparing healthy meals and limiting your intake of foods that contain added sweeteners can help you cut back on the amount of sugar in your diet.

The Bottom Line

Eating too much added sugar can have many negative health effects.

An excess of sweetened foods and beverages can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems and an increased risk of heart disease, among other dangerous conditions.

For these reasons, added sugar should be kept to a minimum whenever possible, which is easy when you follow a healthy diet based on whole foods.

If you need to cut added sugar from your diet, try some of the small changes listed above.

Before you know it, your sugar habit will be a thing of the past.

 

6 NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SUGAR ON YOUR BRAIN

By: Hotze Health | June 28th, 2018

We all love sugar, but is it really that bad for us? Yes, it is. Most people know that consuming foods high in sugar, and simple carbohydrates that convert to sugar, leads to several health problems, such as obesity, tooth decay, diabetes and coronary artery disease. But eating too much sugar also has negative effects on your brain.

It’s helpful to understand a little about how sugar is used by the brain. The carbohydrates you eat, including sugars, are broken down into glucose. Your brain needs glucose to function properly. Unfortunately, many people eat much more sugar than they need. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the average American eats the equivalent of about 42 teaspoons of sugar a day. That added sugar comes from various sources, such as table sugar, baked goods, and sugary drinks.

HOW SUGAR CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR BRAIN  

Although some glucose is needed, eating excess sugar can negatively affect your brain in the following 6 ways:

Sugar addiction – Eating and drinking foods high in sugar can have a drug-like effect on the brain and lead to sugar addiction. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, sugar appears to have drug-like effects, which are similar to those caused by addictive drugs. Addiction-like effects may include cravings and a loss of self-control. The research indicates that cravings for sugar may be even stronger than those for certain drugs, such as cocaine.

Decreased cognition – Some evidence suggests that a high-sugar diet might lead to impaired cognitive function. Animal studies indicated that high-sugar diets may impair normal brain function. Disruption of normal brain function may include decreased cognitive function.

Tension – Although some people reach for a sugary treat to increase energy, sugar may actually zap energy and increase tension. In a small study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18 people rated their tiredness, energy, and tension after eating a candy bar or walking briskly for ten minutes. The group that walked reported higher levels of energy and lower levels of tension. The group that ate a sugary snack reported higher levels of tension than the walkers. The snack group also had a pattern of increased energy after one hour of eating, but two hours later, reported decreased energy and increased tiredness.

Depression – Too much sugar may be a contributing factor in depression. In a study published in the Journal of Depression and Anxiety, available data from six countries were reviewed to determine the connection between sugar consumption and depression. The results of the study indicated that higher rates of sugar consumption correlated with higher rates of depression. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition included about 70,000 women. The study found that women with a diet high in added sugar had an increased risk of depression. The study also indicated that high intake of natural sugars including those in fruit was not associated with higher rates of depression.

Dementia – Dementia is a complex illness. Physiological, genetic, and nutritional elements may play a role in the development of certain forms of dementia. For example, it appears Alzheimer’s disease may occur due to a buildup of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain, which disrupts normal function. A study published in the Journal of Gerontology found animal models of dementia may develop due to excess sugar consumption. The excess sugar is thought to cause an insulin reaction that might increase deposits of beta-amyloid proteins and increase the risk of developing dementia.

Memory – Memory impairment can develop for several reasons including various diseases and lifestyle choices. Researchers are also looking at the link between memory and nutrition. Research published in Behavioral Neuroscience indicated that high sugar consumption might negatively affect memory.

The research included information that animal studies have found the hippocampus, which is an area in the brain associated with memory, may be affected by refined sugar. Two studies were conducted in the published report. In the first study, participants that self-reported eating a high-sugar diet had poorer performance on hippocampal related memory tasks. In the second study, the results were replicated. The second study also revealed that the effect of high sugar consumption on memory appears to be directly related to the hippocampal region and no other areas which may also affect memory, such as the prefrontal cortex.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO SATISFY SWEET CRAVINGS

Before you swap refined sugar for artificial sweeteners, you may want to keep reading. Artificial sweeteners also appear to have several negative effects on the brain. Sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin, are not healthy alternatives to sugar. These sweeteners are in a variety of foods and drinks, such as diet soda, sugar-free snacks, and energy drinks.

The artificial sweeteners have been linked to everything from memory loss to an increased risk of obesity. Both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association have issued a statement about the risks of using artificial sweeteners.

So, what can you do to satisfy your sweet tooth? Due to the research on the negative effects of sugar on the brain, it’s best to limit foods high in sugar. It’s also important to steer clear of artificial sweeteners. Fortunately, there are some alternatives to enjoy a sweet treat while avoiding the health risks. Below are a few options to consider:

Stevia: Stevia is a natural sweetener, which is extracted from the leaves of a shrub in South American. Stevia is the perfect solution for coffee, tea and even baking.

Xylitol: Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol derived from the bark of birchwood trees and the skin of fruits. It can also be used in coffee, tea and for baking.

Fruit: Fruit contains natural sugars that can satisfy your sweet tooth while providing several nutrients.

BEWARE OF DECEPTIVE WORDS THAT MEAN SUGAR

Always read your labels.  Below is a list of different words that mean “sugar” that you should avoid:

Agave nectar

Beet sugar

Brown rice syrup

Brown sugar

Cane sugar

Coconut sugar

Coconut palm sugar

Corn syrup

Dehydrated cane juice

Dextrin

Dextrose

Evaporated cane juice

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate

High fructose corn syrup

Honey

Maltodextrin

Malt syrup

Maple syrup

Molasses

Palm sugar

Raw sugar

Rice syrup

Sorghum

Sucrose

Sucralose

Syrup

Turbinado sugar

References

Ahmed, S. H., Guillem, K., & Vandaele, Y. (2013). Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 16(4), 434-439. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx

Department of Health and Human Services. How much sugar do you eat? You may be surprised. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/documents/sugar.pdf

Francis, H. M., & Stevenson, R. J. (2011). Higher reported saturated fat and refined sugar intake is associated with reduced hippocampal-dependent memory and sensitivity to interoceptive signals. Behavioral neuroscience, 125(6), 943. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-24000-001

Gardner, C., Wylie-Rosett, J., Gidding, S. S., Steffen, L. M., Johnson, R. K., Reader, D., & Lichtenstein, A. H. (2012). Nonnutritive sweeteners: current use and health perspectives: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. Circulation, 126(4), 509-519. Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/126/4/509.short

Stephan, B. C. M., Wells, J. C. K., Brayne, C., Albanese, E., & Siervo, M. (2010). Increased fructose intake as a risk factor for dementia. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences, 65(8), 809-814. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/65A/8/809/572081

Thayer, R. E. (1987). Energy, tiredness, and tension effects of a sugar snack versus moderate exercise. Journal of personality and social psychology, 52(1), 119. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1987-14916-001

 

More Proof Sugar Can Kill

New study: A high-sugar diet makes healthy people sick — fast

by Tim Appelo, AARP, October 10, 2017

Although you might not be drinking a glass of sugar a day, all the sugary foods you eat throughout the day add up quickly.

Even if you’re healthy, a high-sugar diet can quickly put your life at risk, according to a new study from England’s University of Surrey published in Clinical Science.

Researchers put healthy men on either a diet low in sugar (140 calories a day worth of sugar) or high (650 calories) and found after 12 weeks that the metabolism of those on the high-sugar diet began to resemble men with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is associated with cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes.

High sugar intake is also associated with obesity, diabetes, dementia and other perils, according to previous studies. How perilous? In one study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a high-sugar diet increased heart disease death risk by 38 percent. The American Heart Association recommends no more than nine teaspoons a day for men, six for women and children, and zero for kids under 2. The heart association says Americans eat about 17 teaspoons of sugar per day, and teens eat 20.

“Some children and teenagers may reach these [high] levels of sugar intake by over-consuming fizzy drinks and sweets,” said Surrey’s lead researcher, Bruce Griffin, who noted an “alarmingly high prevalence of NAFLD in children and teenagers, and exponential rise of fatal liver disease in adults.” Obesity researcher David Ludwig told Consumer Reports, “It’s one thing when type 2 diabetes develops in 50- or 60-year-olds. It’s another when that clock starts ticking at age 10.”

In a 2016 expose, JAMA Internal Medicine showed that starting in 1965, researchers secretly paid by the Sugar Research Foundation deflected blame from sugar and pointed a finger at saturated fat as the major coronary heart-disease risk factor. This greatly influenced health guidance and consumer behavior for decades. “Because coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death globally” and sugar is implicated, the JAMA study concluded, “policymaking committees should consider giving less weight to food industry–funded studies.” The Sugar Association, the successor group to the Sugar Research Foundation, told Consumer Reports that transparency standards were different in the past, and insisted that “industry-funded research has been informative in addressing key issues.”

 

The Bitter Truth About Too Much Sugar

And how to kick those cravings — starting today

by Stacey Colino, March 13, 2018

Too much sugar promotes body fat storage, according to medical experts.

Remember when we thought fat was the No. 1 dietary villain and felt virtuous eating low-fat cookies loaded with sugar? Not anymore, thanks to the growing recognition that the sweet stuff increases our risk of developing a range of serious health problems. In fact, research has linked an excessive intake of sugar with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and an increased risk of certain forms of cancer.

At the root of many of these health problems is how too much sugar wreaks havoc with blood sugar levels and promotes body fat storage, says David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and author of Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well. “Sugar contributes to the excess calories that contribute to obesity, and sugar is used expressly to make foods, even foods that are not overtly sweet, hyper-palatable.” This, he says, “contributes disproportionately to overeating in general.”

It turns out that our collective sugar intake really is out of control. From 1977 to 2010, the average adult’s consumption of added sugars increased by more than 30 percent in the U.S., according to the Obesity Society. These days, the average person downs, per year, an estimated 152 pounds of sugar; more, that is, than some individuals’ entire body weight.

How did we get here? “We are born with a taste for sugar because that favors survival — the craving helps ensure that newborns favor breast milk,” Katz says. While a penchant for sweet flavors may have begun as a survival mechanism, it has long since led us astray. But it’s not the sugar in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other whole foods that’s the problem, according to experts. It’s the stuff that’s added to processed foods, from sodas, fruit drinks and fancy coffees to flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes and candy. Sugar is even added to foods you might not expect to find it in, such as ketchup, salad dressings, pasta sauce, peanut butter and soups. Besides being a source of considerable calories that have no nutritional value (1 teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories), consuming processed sugars just makes you crave more.

Once food manufacturers realized they could ignite the reward centers of our brains by adding sugar to processed foods, they started adding it to everything so you’d keep eating, says Pamela Peeke, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction. Besides making that breakfast bar or frozen entree incredibly appealing while you’re eating it, the addition of processed sugar stimulates your appetite and overrides your body’s natural satiety-regulating system in a way that eating handfuls of snap peas or apple slices doesn’t.

“Consuming processed sugar has been found to cause a major rush of dopamine, which is the pleasure neurotransmitter,” Peeke explains. Having the reward response in your brain zoom off the charts this way makes you want to keep eating sugar to maintain that “high.” Eventually, however, your brain becomes somewhat desensitized to sugar so you need more of it to achieve that same reward feeling. In fact, researchers at Princeton University found that eating sugar triggers the release of opioids and dopamine in the brain, just like potentially addictive drugs do.

How Much Is Too Much?

The 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 10 percent of your daily calories from added sugars. That means a max of 180 calories (or 45 grams) from added sugars if you consume 1,800 calories per day; foods that contain sugar naturally aren’t included in this guideline. The American Heart Association advises limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to 50 percent of your daily discretionary calories, which total 100 calories per day for women, 150 for men.

But kicking the habit isn’t necessarily about counting every gram of sugar as much as it is about eating in a way that feels satisfying without lots of the white stuff. Following some of the smart tips below can help you put your taste buds through rehab so you simply stop craving sugar so much. “As you cut out superfluous sugar, your taste buds will become more sensitive to it,” Katz notes. Once that happens, foods that used to be appealing may come to taste sickly sweet to you, which is likely to benefit your health and waistline.

Eat regularly. Sometimes hunger can make you crave sugar, so it’s important to “nourish your body with whole foods every four hours,” says Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern in Dallas. In particular, make sure you consume plenty of protein and healthy fats, from things like eggs, fish, lean meats, nuts or avocado, which will provide lasting satiety, reduce cravings and lead to a slow, sustained rise in blood sugar and steady energy. And remember: Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains come by their sugar naturally and also contain other important nutrients, Sandon notes.

Shop like a detective. While added sugars are what you want to limit in your diet, manufacturers are not required to list these on the nutrition label (instead they list total grams of sugar, which includes both natural and added sugar). This makes it important to know sugar by its many “aliases,” and to see how they’re weighted among other ingredients, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a nutrition consultant in New York and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. Specifically, think twice about buying any packaged food that lists any of the following among its top three ingredients: molasses, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, corn sweetener and honey, as well as anything ending with -ose (as in: dextrose, fructose, sucrose or maltose) or syrup (as in: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup or agave syrup). The higher up on the ingredients list such a sugar alias appears, the more added sugar the food contains.

Curb your intake gradually. If you like sugar in your tea or coffee, slowly cut back the amount you use until you get accustomed to the less sweet taste, Sandon says. Similarly, “if you drink three regular sodas per day, cut back to just one and replace the others with sparkling water,” Sandon suggests. This will help you to still enjoy something you like to drink and may help you avoid any withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue from going cold turkey.

Exercise. Working out helps regenerate dopamine receptors that can be lost with sugar overload and can also improve functioning of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that’s responsible for planning, decision-making and self-control with food, Peeke notes. Physical activity also can help reduce sugar-withdrawal symptoms by promoting the release of endorphins (the body’s natural opioids). “It gives you a reward that’s good for you,” Peeke adds.

Pass on artificial sweeteners. They may seem like a good bargain calorie-wise, but research suggests that consuming artificial sugars (like aspartame, sucralose or saccharin) can actually stimulate appetite, causing you to eat more. They can also corrupt your taste buds with their super sweetness, causing you to crave even more sugary foods.

Stare down your sweet tooth. When a craving kicks in, distract yourself with another activity like calling a friend, reading a book or listening to music, Sandon suggests. “Cravings often pass in 10 to 15 minutes.” If yours doesn’t, try shutting it down by eating something sour or bitter — perhaps half a grapefruit or a bitter orange — or by switching to a flavor that cleanses the palate, such as a strong mint, Peeke says. If you still crave something sweet, try a piece of fruit, some berries, or frozen grapes; or opt for a small piece of dark chocolate.

 

15 disturbing consequences of eating too much sugar

Lauren F Friedman Sep. 16, 2016

People have been sounding warnings about the dangers of too much sugar for a long time. As early as 1957, John Yudkin, a professor of nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College in London, began arguing that when it came to heart disease and other chronic ailments, sugar — not fat — was the primary culprit.

Yet decades ago, after a landmark study by a team of Harvard scientists pointed to fat as the primary dietary risk factor for heart disease, Yudkin’s hypothesis was buried, and fat became public enemy No. 1.

Now it turns out that the sugar industry deliberately engineered that groundbreaking study, compensating the scientists for their efforts that essentially let sugar off the hook. That’s the conclusion of a September 12 report in JAMA Internal Medicine, which summarized an analysis of historical industry documents.

Even before that eye-opening report, however, evidence documenting the ill effects of too much sugar has continued to pile up. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says people should cap consumption at 50 grams of sugar a day — about 4 tablespoons or a little more than a can of Coke. The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, suggests no more than half that amount for best results.

Yet the average American, trained to be wary of fat, gobbles up 22 teaspoons of sugar per day. And now we can say for sure: We should never have abandoned a diet rich in healthy fats, and all that sugar we’re eating instead is associated with a litany of health problems — just as Yudkin suggested all those decades ago.

Cavities.

Trust your dentist on this one: Of all of sugar’s potential ills, the connection between sugar and cavities is perhaps the best established. Sugar is such an enemy to dental health that one study back in 1967 called it the “arch criminal” behind cavities.

Dentists have since called for much stricter limits on sugar intake than even most dietary guidelines advise.

“Tooth decay occurs when the bacteria that line the teeth feed on simple sugars, creating acid that destroys enamel,” Anahad O’Connor explains at The New York Times. Sour candies, which create more acid than other candy, are especially nefarious for causing cavities.

Sources: Journal of the American Dental Association, 2009; ISRN Dentistry, 2013; International Dental Journal, 2013; Evidence-Based Dentistry, 2014; BMC Public Health, 2014

Insatiable hunger.

The hormone leptin tells your body when you’ve had enough to eat. In people who develop leptin resistance, this “I’m full” signal is never received, presenting a major obstacle for weight control.

A few studies raise the possibility that leptin resistance may be a side effect of obesity, not a contributing cause. But research in rats suggests that over-consumption of fructose — as in high-fructose corn syrup, which is common in soda — can directly lead to higher-than-normal levels of leptin and reduce your body’s sensitivity to the hormone. (Removing fructose from the rats’ diets generally reversed those effects.)

“Our data indicate that … fructose-induced leptin resistance accelerates high-fat induced obesity,” concluded one study of rats. And high levels of leptin may actually be an early warning sign of the larger metabolic problems associated with drinking too much soda, a 2014 study found.

More research is needed to confirm sugar’s connection to a bottomless appetite, but the results so far are worrisome.

Source: American Journal of Physiology, 2008; American Journal of Physiology, 2009;British Journal of Nutrition, 2011; Advances in Nutrition, 2012; Journal of Nutrition, 2014

Weight gain.

Other than adopting a completely sedentary lifestyle, few ways of packing on the pounds work as swiftly and assuredly as making sugar a staple of your diet.

Sugary foods are full of calories but do little to satisfy hunger. When researchers studied the eating habits of a large group of Japanese men, for example, they found “a significant association between sugar intake and weight gain” that held even after they accounted for other things like “age, body mass index (BMI), total [caloric] intake, alcohol, smoking and regular physical exercise.”

That squares with a huge body of research on the subject. A 2013 review of 68 different studies found “consistent evidence that increasing or decreasing intake of dietary sugars from current levels of intake is associated with corresponding changes in body weight in adults.”

Want to lose weight? Cutting your sugar intake is one of the best places to start.

Source: British Medical Journal, 2013; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013; Clinical Obesity, 2014

Insulin resistance.

When you eat a lot of high-sugar meals — donuts for breakfast, anyone? — it can increase your body’s demand for insulin, a hormone that helps your body convert food into usable energy. But when insulin levels remain high, your body becomes less sensitive to the hormone, and glucose builds up in the blood.

Scientists can quickly induce insulin-resistance in rats by feeding them diets that are abnormally high in sugar.

Symptoms of insulin resistance can include fatigue, hunger, brain fog, and high blood pressure. It’s also associated with extra weight around your midsection. Still, most people don’t realize they’re insulin-resistant until they develop full-blown diabetes — a much more serious diagnosis.

Source: Hypertension, 1987; The American Journal of Cardiology, 1999; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002; Nutrition & Metabolism, 2005

Diabetes.

Between 1988 and 2008, the prevalence of diabetes in America increased by 128%. Today diabetes affects about 25 million people in the US — or 8.3% of the population. Countries with higher sugar intake face higher rates of diabetes.

One study that followed 51,603 women between 1991 and 1999 found an increased risk of diabetes among those who consumed more sugar-sweetened beverages — including soda, sweetened ice tea, energy drinks, etc. And a massive review of prior studies involving 310,819 participants supported the same result, concluding that drinking lots of soda was associated not just with weight gain but with the development of type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association, while it recommends that people avoid soda and sports drinks, is quick to point out that diabetes is a complex disease, and there’s not enough evidence to say that eating sugar is the direct cause. But both weight gain and sugary drinks are associated with a heightened risk.

Portions seem to be crucial when it comes to sugar and diabetes. A 2013 study of eating habits and diabetes prevalence in 175 countries concluded the following: “Duration and degree of sugar exposure correlated significantly with diabetes prevalence … while declines in sugar exposure correlated with significant subsequent declines in diabetes rates” — even after controlling for other social, economic, and dietary factors.

Source: JAMA, 2004; Diabetes Care, 2010; PLOS ONE, 2013; BMC Public Health, 2014; American Diabetes Association

Obesity.

Obesity is one of the most-cited risks of excess sugar consumption. Just one can of soda each day could lead to 15 pounds of weight gain in a single year, and each can of soda increases the odds of becoming obese, a JAMA study noted.

While it’s possible that drinking soda is harmful — above and beyond other sugary foods — the relationship is complex: If people who drink soda don’t consume more calories overall, that might not hold true. But too many “empty” calories often leads to over-consumption in general.

Sugar might directly raise the risk of obesity, but the association could be tied to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or habits (e.g. diet and exercise) associated with high-sugar diets.

“The complexity of our food supply and of dietary intake behavior, and how diet relates to other behaviors, makes the acquisition of clear and consistent scientific data on … obesity risk especially elusive,” concluded one review.

But a more recent study cautioned, “we should avoid the trap of waiting for absolute proof before allowing public health action to be taken.”

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004; JAMA, 2004; International Journal of Obesity, 2006; Obesity Reviews, 2013; Nutrition Reviews, 2014

Liver failure.

High doses of sugar can make the liver go into overdrive: The way our bodies metabolize fructose can stress out and inflame the organ. That’s one reason excess fructose is called a “key player” in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, where fat accumulates throughout the liver.

People with this diagnosis usually drink two times more soda than the average person. Still, the research is “unresolved” on whether sugar specifically is a culprit, or if it’s the weight gain that typically comes with eating too much sugar.

Most people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease see few complications and often don’t realize they have it. But in some people, the accumulated fat can lead to scarring in the liver and eventually progress to liver failure.

Source: Journal of Hepatology, 2007; Journal of Hepatology, 2008; World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2013; Nutrients, 2014

Pancreatic cancer.

Some studies have linked high-sugar diets with a slightly elevated risk of pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest forms of the disease. The link may be because high-sugar diets are associated with obesity and diabetes, both of which increase the likelihood someone will develop pancreatic cancer.

At least one large study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, disputed the link between increased sugar intake and increased cancer risk, so more research is needed.

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2002; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006; Annals of Oncology, 2012; International Journal of Cancer, 2012; Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity, 2012; BMJ, 2014

Kidney disease.

The idea that a high-sugar diet — and too much soda in particular — may be a risk factor for kidney disease is still just a hypothesis, but there’s some reason for concern.

“Findings suggest that sugary soda consumption may be associated with kidney damage,” concluded one study of 9,358 adults. (The association emerged only in those drinking two or more sodas a day.) And in 2014, a large analysis of previous research on the topic supported the same finding, suggesting a strong association between drinking too much soda and developing kidney disease.

We also know a little more through highly controlled studies of rats. Rats fed extremely high-sugar diets — equivalent to 12 times the sugar in the WHO’s guidelines — developed enlarged kidneys and poor kidney function.

Source: PLOS ONE, 2008; Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2010; Renal Physiology, 2011; Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, 2013; Nephrology, 2014

High blood pressure.

Salty foods usually get a bad rap for causing hypertension, or high blood pressure, but eating lots of sugar is also linked to high blood pressure. One team of researchers even went so far as to suggest we’re all focused on “the wrong white crystals.”

When it comes to addressing hypertension, they wrote, “it is time for guideline committees to shift focus away from salt and focus greater attention to the likely more-consequential food additive: sugar.”

In one study following 4,528 adults without a history of hypertension, consuming 74 or more grams of sugar each day was strongly associated with an elevated risk of high blood pressure. A recent review also backs up the worrisome association between high-sugar diets and high blood pressure.

And in another (very) small study that followed 15 people, researchers found drinking 60 grams of fructose led to a spike in blood pressure two hours later. This response may be because digesting fructose produces uric acid, a chemical linked to high blood pressure. Yet as one meta-analysis of the data concluded, “longer and larger trials are needed.”

Source: Hypertension, 2001; American Journal of Physiology, 2008; Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2010; Hypertension, 2012; Hypertension, 2012; Open Heart, 2014; British Journal of Nutrition, 2015

Heart disease.

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the US. Smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are known to be major risk factors, but conditions associated with excess sugar consumption, like diabetes and being overweight, are also known risk factors for heart disease.

Recent research suggests that eating too much sugar might stack the odds against your heart health, especially if you’re a woman.

In one study of rats with high blood pressure — which may offer clues for future research but can’t be directly extrapolated to humans — those fed high-sugar diets saw heart failure sooner compared than rats fed high-starch or high-fat diets.

And a CDC study of 11,733 adults concluded that there is “a significant relationship between added sugar consumption and increased risk for [heart disease] mortality.” When participants got 17% to 21% of their daily calories from sugar, they were 38% more likely to die from heart disease than those who limited their calories from sugar to 8% of their total caloric intake.

Source: Journal of Hypertension, 2008; American Journal of Cardiology, 2012; JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014

Addiction (sort of).

Most doctors don’t think the “food addiction” you read about in diet books is a real thing, and it’s certainly distinct from drug or alcohol addiction. But there is evidence that rats can become dependent on sugar, which hints that similar behavior is possible in humans.

“In some circumstances, intermittent access to sugar can lead to … changes that resemble the effects of a substance of abuse,” according to one study, in which sugar-addled rats displayed bingeing, craving, and withdrawal behaviors.

In fact, when people are in withdrawal from opioids like heroin, they tend to eat more sugary foods, possibly “to replace the action of opiates in the brain,” researchers have hypothesized.

It may be simpler than that, though: One recent paper suggested that people are addicted to the habit of eating foods they think are especially tasty, not any particular food itself — sugary or otherwise.

Source: Obesity, 2002; Behavioral Neuroscience, 2005; Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2007; Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2008; Appetite, 2011; Nutrition, 2014; Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2014

Cognitive decline.

Obesity and diabetes are both tied to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s no surprise that new studies are finding a link between excess sugar and these brain conditions.

Yet reasons for a possible relationship between a high-sugar diet and dementia later in life are unclear. Is it tied to diet? Or is the real link only between diabetes and Alzheimer’s?

Rats fed a diet high in fat and sugar in one recent study had impaired memory and dulled emotional arousal. And another study in humans found an association between eating a lot of fat and simple carbohydrates (including sugar) and reduced performance in the hippocampus — a brain structure crucial to memory.

There are many other open questions about sugar and cognitive decline, with some researchers urging caution until they can round up more and better evidence.

Source: American Journal of Alzheimer’s, 2009; Journal of Gerontology, 2010; Behavioral Neuroscience, 2011; Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 2013;Nutrition Journal, 2013; Behavioral Neuroscience, 2013; Progress in Neurobiology, 2014

Nutritional deficiencies.

If you’re scarfing down lots of excess sugar, you’re probably skipping over the things you should be eating instead.

“High-sugar foods displace whole foods (eg, soft drinks displace milk and juice consumption in children) and contribute to nutritional deficiencies,” according to a statement released by the American Heart Association (AHA). American children, for example, eat too many calories — especially sugar — but don’t get enough Vitamin D, calcium, or potassium.

Those deficiencies can lead to symptoms like fatigue, brittle bones, and muscle weakness.

In a study of 568 10-year-olds, as sugar intake increased, levels of essential nutrients decreased. And in a 1999 study, researchers from the Department of Agriculture found that when people got 18% or more of their calories from sugar, they had the lowest levels of essentials like folate, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.

Source: Family Economics and Nutrition Review, 1999; Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1998; Circulation, 2002; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003; Nutrients, 2014

Gout.

Gout used to be a painful disease limited to the rich. Our diets have changed, though, and this excruciating form of arthritis has become more common across all sectors of society.

Organ meats, anchovies, and other foods associated with gout contain high levels of purines. Purines are chemicals that produce uric acid when the body breaks them down, and a buildup of uric acid is what often leads to gout.

But uric acid is also a byproduct of sugar metabolization, and newer research suggests that too much sugar could be a risk factor for gout, too. “Consumption of sugar sweetened soft drinks and fructose is strongly associated with an increased risk of gout in men,” concluded a 2008 study that tracked thousands of patients for more than a decade.

The evidence is now strong enough to “recommend reduction of [soda] consumption … to reduce the burden of gout” among high-risk populations, researchers concluded in 2014.

Source: British Medical Journal, 2008; Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, 2012; Pacific Health Dialog, 2014