Added sugar can be found in nearly every product in supermarkets and grocery stores. It makes up a big chunk of our daily calorie intake. It accounts for 17% of the total calorie intake of adults in the United States, and as much as 14% in children. The suggested calorie limits from added sugars is under 10% per day which means most people are consuming a much higher amount than what’s recommended by dietary guidelines.
Let’s take a look at the main reasons why you should try to lessen your sugar consumption.
1. It leads to weight gain.
Obesity rates are rising on a global scale and added sugar particularly from sweetened drinks like juices and sodas is one of the main causes.
Moreover, excessive fructose consumption triggers leptin-resistance, an important hormone that tells your body you’re already full and should stop eating. What that means is consuming fructose-rich foods and drinks will only result in excessive calorie consumption.
2. It increases your risk of heart disease.
One of the leading cause of deaths today is heart disease so if you’re trying to keep your heart healthy, you should avoid sugar. High-sugar diets lead to high blood sugar, high blood pressure, obesity and inflammation – which are all factors that bring about heart disease. Too much sugar consumption also leads to atherosclerosis, a disease that clogs the arteries.
3. It causes acne breakouts.
A diet rich in refined carbs can lead to acne breakouts. Processed sweets increases blood sugar levels, leading to increased secretion of androgen, inflammation and oil production. It’s interesting to note that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have lower incidence of acne compared to urban, high-income communities.
4. It puts you at risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
Obesity is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes. The primary cause of obesity is excessive consumption of sugar. Moreover, long-term consumption of sugar leads to insulin resistance causing the blood sugar levels to be higher than normal.
5. It increases cancer risk.
High sugar intake may increase your risk for certain cancers. One study which evaluated 430,000 individuals found that consumption of added sugar increases the risk of esophageal cancer, cancer of the small intestine and pleural cancer. Women who eat cookies and sweet buns 3x per week were also 1.42x more likely to get endometrial cancer than those who don’t.
6. It increases risk of depression.
A high-sugar diet along with processed foods increases your risk of developing depression. Blood sugar swings, along with inflammation and neurotransmitter dysregulation adversely affect mental health.
7. It accelerates the aging process.
Poor food choices speed up aging and a diet rich in refined carbs and sugar can damage elastin and collagen, leading to wrinkles and sagging. Apart from affecting the skin, it also increases cellular aging by accelerating telomere shortening. This leads the cells to malfunction and age.
8. It leads to lack of energy.
Products that contain lots of sugar but not enough protein, fat or fiber may cause a temporary energy boost but it also is followed by a drop in blood sugar (crash) causing major changes in energy levels.
9. It can lead to fatty liver.
Consuming large amounts of fructose puts you at risk of fatty liver. The liver converts fructose to energy or glycogen but if there’s excessive amounts of this, it converts it to fat. Overloading your liver with it can result in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Learn more about the dangers of added sugars here: