The bitter truth about sugar

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that your favorite red velvet cake or your favorite cinnamon glazed donut is packed with sugar. It is also common knowledge that most of the soft drinks we consume daily is made with a lot of sugar. In fact, a single bottle of soft drink has 12 teaspoons of sugar, which is twice the recommended daily limit of sugar intake which is 6 teaspoons; and that is just one bottle!

Most people consume about 3-4 times the amount of sugar they ought to consume daily, and even with the rising health trend, sugar intake is still at an all time high. This could be because many don’t realize that the so-called healthy alternatives that have zero calories and zero sugar are also just as bad. The health food industry is booming, and several healthy food companies and restaurants have sprung up and are doing considerably well because they are offering a ‘healthier alternative’ to sugar. So why is it that every time I look around, there’s an obese person or an obese child around? How are we ‘eating healthier’ but still getting fatter?

 There are 56 names for sugar, and the food manufacturers know this. So, they give you what you want; sugar in different forms without labelling it ‘sugar’ and you keep coming back for your ‘healthy eating’. Sugar is highly toxic and addictive, just like illicit drugs, and negatively affects the body’s organs in many ways.

Liver: One of the most critical organs in the body is the liver. It is responsible for removing toxins from the body and it also converts sugar into energy that is used by the body, and it does this with the help of insulin. Excessive sugar consumption will eventually cause the liver to become resistant to insulin and this ultimately leads to Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Studies have also shown that too much sugar switches off the Leptin hormone aka Satiety hormone, so we don’t know when we are full, and this causes overeating. This Leptin resistance is now known to be the main cause of weight gain and obesity in human beings.

Brain: The taste of sugar in our mouth sends signals to the brain to release dopamine, the feel-good hormone. Dopamine, when released gives a pleasurable, euphoric feeling, but it doesn’t last. Drugs like cocaine, heroine and marijuana also cause dopamine surge to be released. When this signal pathway is over activated, it causes problems because people tend to get addicted and crave the drug more. Sugar works in the exact same pathway and that is why most people have a sugar addiction and can’t simply stop after a slice of cake. In the long run, this sugar addiction has been shown to cause depression. Excessive consumption of sugar and insulin resistance has also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly

Skin: When we eat sugar, it attaches to proteins in the blood stream and forms harmful products known as advanced glycation end products also known as AGEs. Basically, this causes inflammation and causes your skin to age faster. These AGEs also deactivate the body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, leaving the skin more vulnerable to sun damage. In addition, sugar consumption also damages the production of collagen, and also transforms the more desirable Type 3 Collagen which is longer lasting, into Collagen Type 1 which is more fragile. Basically, a high sugar diet will age your skin faster and leave it more prone to skin conditions like acne, dry skin and premature wrinkling.

So, you see that sugar affects major organ systems in the body. Surely, as part of healthy nutrition, we still have to eat our fruits and vegetables which do contain sugar. However, we need to be aware how much sugar we are having and what type of sugar we are consuming, even with our healthy foods. 75% of the foods in the supermarkets have added sugars. Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in today’s diet and you can find these in donuts, cakes, protein bars, yogurts, salad dressings and even salads! There are hidden sugars everywhere and because of this, people are consuming so much more sugar. It’s time to get smart and kick sugar to the curb because it contributes to so many diseases.




Disclaimer: The medical information provided on here by Dr. Nini Iyizoba is provided as an information resource only. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment

Source:naijagist.com



Alway visit dejoeent.blogspot.com 
 We make entertainment fun  

God loves you.  .......     ......