Six Reasons to Avoid Sugar & Improve Your Health
The average American consumes twenty-two teaspoons of sugar a day! I’ve been guilty of eating too much sugar, especially during the holidays! The American Heart Association recommends that Americans should ingest no more than six to nine teaspoons a day. Unfortunately, sugar is found everywhere and it can seem like a challenge to avoid it on a daily basis. As I discuss the negative effects of consuming too much sugar, please be aware that our bodies need some sugar in the form of carbohydrates to function properly. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of sugar (carbohydrate) that will provide essential fuel for our bodies without negative side effects.
So what are the main reasons why we should avoid sugar?
If we are trying to lose weight, a diet high in sugar will hinder weight loss. Ingesting high sugar amounts will cause our body to store extra carbohydrates as fat.
Sugar can negatively affect our immune system. Sugar intake can actually cause our white blood cells to be less efficient for up to five hours.
Eating sugar can decrease helpful high-density cholesterol (HDLs) numbers and result in an increase in the number of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
When certain bacteria in the mouth break down sugar they produce an acid that damages tooth enamel and causes tooth decay.
High dietary sugar levels can increase the likelihood of chronic fatigue, mood swings, irritability and hyperactivity.
Sugar causes inflammation. When our bodies are inflamed from an excess intake of sugar, we are promoting aging and disease.
Click here to read an article by Leah Zerbe, MS, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES, titled, " Is Sugar Bad for You? Here’s How It Destroys Your Body."
Included in the article is a video from Dr. Axe, you can watch it by clicking here.
In conclusion, I would encourage people to read nutrition labels carefully. Sugar can be commonly disguised with different names such as: dehydrated cane juice, barley malt, beet sugar, buttered syrup, caramel, castor sugar, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, molasses, sorbitol, sucrose and treacle. Lastly, getting enough high-quality protein, fiber and fermented foods can help you lose your sugar cravings over time.
Dr. Jeff Hamill