Khannna
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I found this one on a blog. Just want to share with all of you.
1.It’s addictive
Have you ever eaten a chocolate bar or a muffin, only to find yourself craving something sweet an hour or two later? Many people believe that sugar addiction is an emotional disorder, but, in fact, it’s a biological disorder driven by neurotransmitters that make you crave sugar. When you consume sugar, your body releases serotonin and beta-endorphin, both of which elevate mood and lower anxiety. It should come as no surprise that you’ll crave this lift again and again – and this is the foundation of any addiction. It’s a vicious cycle, but the good news is that when you stop eating sugar, the cravings will stop after a while.
2.It makes it difficult to control your weight
Sugar makes weight loss (and even maintenance) difficult in a couple of different ways. For starters, it encourages you to eat more because of the addiction cycle mentioned previously. But this isn’t the only way sugar causes weight gain. Excess sugar consumption forces the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal, the result being that other hormones, such as those which regulate weight and metabolism, are neglected. An imbalance in these systems can cause mood swings and fatigue, both risk factors for overeating. The body also produces cortisol when stressed, and over time, cortisol encourages the creation of excess belly fat. As you can see, there’s more to the sugar-weight link than just too many empty calories.
3.It may increase cancer risk
Studies may not conclude that sugar directly causes cancer, but what the research does say definitively is that sugar indirectly causes cancer by promoting obesity, a well-known cancer risk factor. It’s important to note that the body can’t tell the difference between white sugar, brown sugar, and honey as regards body weight or insulin response – all of these forms of sugar provide lots of calories with little nutritional value. Foods high in sugar, such as desserts, sweetened cereals, and fizzy drinks clearly contribute to obesity and, by extension, to cancer risk.
4.It’s bad for your heart
When most people think of heart health, they think of managing their intake of salts and fats. However, sugar may be just as bad for your heart. Diets that are high in sugar have been linked to an increased heart disease risk. Too much sugar can cause elevations in blood triglycerides and reductions in “good” HDL cholesterol. The World Health Organisation recommends that individuals drastically lower their sugar intake to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
5.It’s a leading cause of diabetes
It’s impossible to avoid sugar altogether because foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products contain certain amounts of naturally-occurring sugar. These natural sugars, such as fructose and lactose, are essential components of any well-balanced diet. But the typical diet contains far too much sugar thanks to packaged items such as cereal, fizzy drinks, and snack foods. And when you consume sugar in excessive amounts, the result is weight gain, heart disease, mood swings, and, yes, type 2 diabetes. All types of added sweeteners cause blood-sugar spikes and contribute to weight gain – and both of these events contribute to decreased insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) and diabetes.
6.It harms your liver
In the digestive tract, sugar is broken down into two substances: glucose and fructose. Glucose is necessary for life; if you don’t get it from food, your body will produce it. Fructose is another story. Your body doesn’t produce it, and there’s no biological need for it. Fructose is potentially problematic because the liver can only metabolize it in certain amounts. If the liver becomes overloaded, it is forced to turn the fructose into fat. And fatty liver is a serious problem with all sorts of health ramifications. If you’re inactive and eat too much sugar, the liver suffers even more (since exercise helps the liver process sugar). One important note is that this does not apply to the naturally-occurring fructose found in fruit. It’s almost impossible to ingest too much fructose by eating fruit.
7.It’s bad for your teeth
Remember your parents telling you that sweets were bad for your teeth? They were right! When you eat /drink sweets or drink fizzy drinks or juices, the sugar combines with the bacteria that are naturally always present in your mouth. This combination produces acid that damages the teeth. Fizzy drinks are particularly bad because it not only contains lots of sugar, but it also contains citric and phosphoric acid. When it comes to your teeth, less sugar is always better.
8.It’s expensive
It’s largely a myth that high-sugar foods are cheaper to buy and eat than healthy, natural foods. True, it may not cost much upfront to buy a five-kilogram bag of sugar, and products that contain added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, such as fizzy drinks, tend to be cheap. But sugar comes with a lot of hidden expenses. For starters, sugar prompts you to eat more, so you’ll spend more money on food – and more money on clothes when you gain weight. Also, people spend billions on diet products, exercise equipment, and gym memberships every year. And it’s not just money you’ll spend; you’ll also spend more time in the dentist’s chair and the doctor’s office. That’s because sugar causes numerous health problems, from tooth decay and gum disease to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
9.It makes it harder to get enough of the right nutrients
Adding a little bit of sugar can make a healthy food taste better (such as a teaspoon of honey in a little Greek yogurt). However, foods containing sugar too often have little to no nutritional value, such as fizzy drinks, sweets, and cakes. If your diet is too high in sugar, you’re probably replacing healthy, nutrient-rich foods with those that offer nothing but calories. When you cut back on added sugars, you can make better use of your “calorie budget.” Make those calories count with foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. These foods protect your health while giving you all the energy you need.
10.It can ruin your taste for naturally sweet foods
It’s natural and normal to enjoy sweet-tasting foods. Fresh fruits (when available) and certain vegetables such as carrots have always provided a source of natural sweetness. But when we eat a typical high-sugar diet full of packaged foods with added sweeteners, our taste buds become accustomed to sweet foods and beverages. Even foods that weren’t sweet in the past are now, such as meats (with seasonings and glazes) and breads. These foods along with other sugary products such as chocolate bars and fizzy drinks “spoil” your taste buds so that fresh fruit doesn’t taste as sweet or satisfying anymore. You may be hard-wired to like sweet foods, but you can make sure you’re choosing foods with natural sweetness and high nutritional content instead of junk food.
11.It’s bad for your skin
Do you want your skin to be smooth, healthy, and young-looking? If so, sugar is not your friend. The studies are controversial, but there is evidence that sugar may cause acne, whether directly or indirectly. High-sugar diets may promote acne and breakouts because sugar causes inflammation in the body, and skin problems are often one symptom of this. Furthermore, sugar may break down collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in a loss of skin firmness and elasticity. Avoiding added sugar can help you minimize visible signs of aging.
12.It causes energy slumps
Most people are familiar with the mid-afternoon energy slump, and many reach for a can of fizzy or a latte to combat it. Sure, these drinks give you a quick energy boost, but just as quickly, that energy drains away. You’re left tired, irritable, and craving another boost. When you need energy, healthy fat is a much better source than sugar, because fats are the most energy-dense nutrients. In today’s world, however, most people have developed the habit of reaching for sugar when they need pick-me-ups. But sugar burns very quickly and often leaves you more tired than you were before. If you’d prefer to see those frustrating energy highs and lows disappear for good, replace the sugar in your diet with healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
13.It’s almost impossible to avoid
One final reason you should “quit” sugar is because sugar is practically everywhere. Even if you completely avoid all added sugars all the time, you’ll still gain all the sugar you need from fresh, whole foods. Sugar hides under a multitude of names on food labels, including fructose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, fruit juice concentrate, lactose, sorghum, sorbitol, maltodextrin, mannitol, turbinado sugar, and many more. Even more nutritious sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and molasses all still contain the same thing: sugar. So if you aren’t actively trying to avoid added sugar, chances are you’re consuming way too much of it. Remember, you don’t have to have a sweet tooth to overdo it on sugar. The body breaks down bread, pasta, chips, and other starchy snack foods into simple sugars just like sweets, with the same health-harming result. Try cutting sugar out of your diet for a few weeks and see how you feel. The first few days can be tough, but the payoff is finally being free of sugar and healthier and happier than ever.
1.It’s addictive
Have you ever eaten a chocolate bar or a muffin, only to find yourself craving something sweet an hour or two later? Many people believe that sugar addiction is an emotional disorder, but, in fact, it’s a biological disorder driven by neurotransmitters that make you crave sugar. When you consume sugar, your body releases serotonin and beta-endorphin, both of which elevate mood and lower anxiety. It should come as no surprise that you’ll crave this lift again and again – and this is the foundation of any addiction. It’s a vicious cycle, but the good news is that when you stop eating sugar, the cravings will stop after a while.
2.It makes it difficult to control your weight
Sugar makes weight loss (and even maintenance) difficult in a couple of different ways. For starters, it encourages you to eat more because of the addiction cycle mentioned previously. But this isn’t the only way sugar causes weight gain. Excess sugar consumption forces the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal, the result being that other hormones, such as those which regulate weight and metabolism, are neglected. An imbalance in these systems can cause mood swings and fatigue, both risk factors for overeating. The body also produces cortisol when stressed, and over time, cortisol encourages the creation of excess belly fat. As you can see, there’s more to the sugar-weight link than just too many empty calories.
3.It may increase cancer risk
Studies may not conclude that sugar directly causes cancer, but what the research does say definitively is that sugar indirectly causes cancer by promoting obesity, a well-known cancer risk factor. It’s important to note that the body can’t tell the difference between white sugar, brown sugar, and honey as regards body weight or insulin response – all of these forms of sugar provide lots of calories with little nutritional value. Foods high in sugar, such as desserts, sweetened cereals, and fizzy drinks clearly contribute to obesity and, by extension, to cancer risk.
4.It’s bad for your heart
When most people think of heart health, they think of managing their intake of salts and fats. However, sugar may be just as bad for your heart. Diets that are high in sugar have been linked to an increased heart disease risk. Too much sugar can cause elevations in blood triglycerides and reductions in “good” HDL cholesterol. The World Health Organisation recommends that individuals drastically lower their sugar intake to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
5.It’s a leading cause of diabetes
It’s impossible to avoid sugar altogether because foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products contain certain amounts of naturally-occurring sugar. These natural sugars, such as fructose and lactose, are essential components of any well-balanced diet. But the typical diet contains far too much sugar thanks to packaged items such as cereal, fizzy drinks, and snack foods. And when you consume sugar in excessive amounts, the result is weight gain, heart disease, mood swings, and, yes, type 2 diabetes. All types of added sweeteners cause blood-sugar spikes and contribute to weight gain – and both of these events contribute to decreased insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) and diabetes.
6.It harms your liver
In the digestive tract, sugar is broken down into two substances: glucose and fructose. Glucose is necessary for life; if you don’t get it from food, your body will produce it. Fructose is another story. Your body doesn’t produce it, and there’s no biological need for it. Fructose is potentially problematic because the liver can only metabolize it in certain amounts. If the liver becomes overloaded, it is forced to turn the fructose into fat. And fatty liver is a serious problem with all sorts of health ramifications. If you’re inactive and eat too much sugar, the liver suffers even more (since exercise helps the liver process sugar). One important note is that this does not apply to the naturally-occurring fructose found in fruit. It’s almost impossible to ingest too much fructose by eating fruit.
7.It’s bad for your teeth
Remember your parents telling you that sweets were bad for your teeth? They were right! When you eat /drink sweets or drink fizzy drinks or juices, the sugar combines with the bacteria that are naturally always present in your mouth. This combination produces acid that damages the teeth. Fizzy drinks are particularly bad because it not only contains lots of sugar, but it also contains citric and phosphoric acid. When it comes to your teeth, less sugar is always better.
8.It’s expensive
It’s largely a myth that high-sugar foods are cheaper to buy and eat than healthy, natural foods. True, it may not cost much upfront to buy a five-kilogram bag of sugar, and products that contain added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, such as fizzy drinks, tend to be cheap. But sugar comes with a lot of hidden expenses. For starters, sugar prompts you to eat more, so you’ll spend more money on food – and more money on clothes when you gain weight. Also, people spend billions on diet products, exercise equipment, and gym memberships every year. And it’s not just money you’ll spend; you’ll also spend more time in the dentist’s chair and the doctor’s office. That’s because sugar causes numerous health problems, from tooth decay and gum disease to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
9.It makes it harder to get enough of the right nutrients
Adding a little bit of sugar can make a healthy food taste better (such as a teaspoon of honey in a little Greek yogurt). However, foods containing sugar too often have little to no nutritional value, such as fizzy drinks, sweets, and cakes. If your diet is too high in sugar, you’re probably replacing healthy, nutrient-rich foods with those that offer nothing but calories. When you cut back on added sugars, you can make better use of your “calorie budget.” Make those calories count with foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. These foods protect your health while giving you all the energy you need.
10.It can ruin your taste for naturally sweet foods
It’s natural and normal to enjoy sweet-tasting foods. Fresh fruits (when available) and certain vegetables such as carrots have always provided a source of natural sweetness. But when we eat a typical high-sugar diet full of packaged foods with added sweeteners, our taste buds become accustomed to sweet foods and beverages. Even foods that weren’t sweet in the past are now, such as meats (with seasonings and glazes) and breads. These foods along with other sugary products such as chocolate bars and fizzy drinks “spoil” your taste buds so that fresh fruit doesn’t taste as sweet or satisfying anymore. You may be hard-wired to like sweet foods, but you can make sure you’re choosing foods with natural sweetness and high nutritional content instead of junk food.
11.It’s bad for your skin
Do you want your skin to be smooth, healthy, and young-looking? If so, sugar is not your friend. The studies are controversial, but there is evidence that sugar may cause acne, whether directly or indirectly. High-sugar diets may promote acne and breakouts because sugar causes inflammation in the body, and skin problems are often one symptom of this. Furthermore, sugar may break down collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in a loss of skin firmness and elasticity. Avoiding added sugar can help you minimize visible signs of aging.
12.It causes energy slumps
Most people are familiar with the mid-afternoon energy slump, and many reach for a can of fizzy or a latte to combat it. Sure, these drinks give you a quick energy boost, but just as quickly, that energy drains away. You’re left tired, irritable, and craving another boost. When you need energy, healthy fat is a much better source than sugar, because fats are the most energy-dense nutrients. In today’s world, however, most people have developed the habit of reaching for sugar when they need pick-me-ups. But sugar burns very quickly and often leaves you more tired than you were before. If you’d prefer to see those frustrating energy highs and lows disappear for good, replace the sugar in your diet with healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
13.It’s almost impossible to avoid
One final reason you should “quit” sugar is because sugar is practically everywhere. Even if you completely avoid all added sugars all the time, you’ll still gain all the sugar you need from fresh, whole foods. Sugar hides under a multitude of names on food labels, including fructose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, fruit juice concentrate, lactose, sorghum, sorbitol, maltodextrin, mannitol, turbinado sugar, and many more. Even more nutritious sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and molasses all still contain the same thing: sugar. So if you aren’t actively trying to avoid added sugar, chances are you’re consuming way too much of it. Remember, you don’t have to have a sweet tooth to overdo it on sugar. The body breaks down bread, pasta, chips, and other starchy snack foods into simple sugars just like sweets, with the same health-harming result. Try cutting sugar out of your diet for a few weeks and see how you feel. The first few days can be tough, but the payoff is finally being free of sugar and healthier and happier than ever.
