Why is sugar bad for you

Sugar statistics

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the American adult consumes an average of 77 grams of sugar a day. This adds up to 60 pounds of sugar annually, Comparatively, children consume 81 grams of a day equaling 65 pounds of sugar annually. The AHA recommends that men should not consume more than 36 grams of a day (less than 9 teaspoons) and women should not consume more than 25 grams a day (6 teaspoons). So where does it come from? Beverages contain 47% of all added sugars, snacks, and sweets contribute to 31% of the added sugar.

Examples:

12 ounce can of soda contains- 32 grams of sugar
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Cherry Garcia 1 pint is equal to 84 grams
Nutrigrain Cereal Bar has 15 grams of sugar
Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (16 oz Grande) with whipped cream has 51 grams of sugar

Many people look for alternatives like; honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose. However, the body still sees it as sugar. Isn’t natural sugar the same? No, because items such as an apple has fiber and will require the body to slowly break down the product making the sugar absorption slower versus that can of soda that you drink and is immediately absorbed. Unfortunately, many people do not see themselves as someone that has “treats”. They often are known to say I don’t really eat sweets. But it is important to remember that eating and drinking are the same. Become aware of the nutrition labels available prior to consuming foods.

Let’s simplify what occurs in your body when you eat sugar.

Brain- “lights up” the reward center, but over time it can cause learning issues and may make it harder for you to learn, it makes you want more and interferes with satiety even after eating what you are craving
Skin ages faster by hindering the repair of collagen, causing reduced elasticity, premature gaining
Excess glucose is stored as fat, once the body has used what it can for energy it then becomes converted into fat in the liver, increasing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease
Accelerates oxidation in cells causing damage to organs and tissue; liver and kidney disease, and cataracts.
Eating sugar leads to the release of dopamine. This makes you want more and over time you will need more to get the same rush
Refined carbs (pasta and bread) cause a rise in glucose and make you feel extra energy. This is a short-term fix making you sluggish afterward.

How to cut back

Some helpful ways to cut back on the sweets include; avoiding soda and sweetened beverages, eating fruits instead of candy, cookies, etc, and reading the ingredient labels because it can be hidden in several foods we don’t traditionally think of, like spaghetti sauce and sandwich bread, and remember added sugars can be called other things like corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. Eating protein-rich snacks between meals like Greek yogurt with fresh berries will help stabilize blood glucose and make you feel better.