Sugar: What Keeps You Hooked?

 

The Not So Sweet Side of Sugar

Who doesn’t like something sweet? We all do. In fact, sugar provides energy to the body. Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and so on. Consuming whole foods and plant foods that contain natural sugar is okay because these foods have high amounts of fiber, essential minerals, and antioxidants; and since the body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to our cells. In actuality, a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. The problems occur when we consume refined sugar. That is, process sugar that food manufacturers add to products to improve taste and extend shelf life. Foods rich in refined sugars are often heavily processed and they contain virtually no vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, fiber, or other beneficial compounds.

In the American diet, the top sources of refined sugar are sodas and fruit juices, energy drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, pastries, candy, and most processed foods. But refined sugar is also present in items we may not think of as sweetened, like soups, bread, cured meats, and ketchup. In a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, an association was found between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of the 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from refined sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added or refined sugar. The higher the intake of refined sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease. Refine sugar leads to osteoporosis because it leaches calcium from the bones.

Like tobacco and alcohol, sugar acts on the brain to encourage subsequent intake. Specifically, refined sugar dampens the suppression of the hormone ghrelin, whicsignals hunger to the brain. It also interferes with the normal transport and signaling of the hormone leptin, which helps to produce the feeling of satiety. And it reduces dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward center, thereby decreasing the pleasure derived from food and compelling the individual to consume more.

How Refined Sugar Affects the Body:

Causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, increase inflammation, contribute to weight gain, lead to insulin resistance over time, contribute to fatty liver disease, impact cholesterol levels and may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Your body is God’s Temple. What goes inside of it matters. Let’s take good care of it!

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