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Sugar’s reputation in terms of health is not very positive. All foods high in carbs, like grains, milk, and fruits and vegetables, inherently contain sugar. It’s acceptable to include natural sugars in your diet. While dairy products offer calcium and protein, plant-based diets are also rich in fiber, vital minerals, and antioxidants. These foods contain sugar, which gives your cells a consistent amount of energy because your body breaks it down slowly. Let’s explore the many side effects of sugar and ways to eliminate it.
On the other side, consuming large amounts of added sugar might cause a number of health problems. The term “added sugar” describes sugar that producers add to goods in order to improve flavor or lengthen their shelf lives. Soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurt, cereals, cookies, cakes, candies, and highly processed foods are the primary sources of added sugar in American diets. However, foods like bread, soup, processed meats, and ketchup that you would not think of as sweet can also contain added sugar.
The average adult consumes approximately 24 teaspoons of added sugar each day, or 384 calories, according to the National Cancer Institute. Excessive sugar consumption is known to cause obesity and diabetes, but many people might be surprised to learn that it may also have much greater consequences on the heart.
Side Effects of Sugar on the Heart
A 2014 study that was published in JAMA Internal Medicine discovered a significant correlation between eating a diet heavy in sugar and a higher risk of heart disease-related death. Those who got 17–21% of their calories from added sugar during a 15-year period were 38% more likely to die from heart disease than those who got only 8% of their calories from added sugar.
In essence, your chance of developing heart disease increases with the amount of added sugar you eat. Sugar has a number of effects on heart health. For example, the liver is burdened by extra sugar. In the words of Dr. Hu, “Your liver metabolizes sugar in the same way as alcohol, and it converts dietary carbohydrates into fat.” Over time, this accumulation of fat can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Consuming too much added sugar can also increase blood pressure and encourage chronic inflammation, two more factors that contribute to heart disease. Overindulging in sugar, particularly in sugar-sweetened beverages, throws off your body’s ability to regulate hunger, which makes it simple to consume more calories because liquid calories don’t satisfy you as fully as solid ones do.
Dr. Hu states that “The effects of excessive sugar – high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease – are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”
How Much Is Allowed?
Given that sugar is not a nutrient that is required in your diet, figuring out how much sugar is right might be challenging. There is no precise amount of sugar that the Institute of Medicine, which establishes Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), has determined.
However, according to the American Heart Association, males should consume no more than 150 calories (or roughly 9 teaspoons or 36 grams) of sugar per day. In comparison, women should only consume 100 calories (or approximately 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) per day. This is comparable in terms of sugar content to a 12-ounce can of soda.
Minimizing Added Sugar The easiest method to keep an eye on how much added sugar you eat is to read food labels. Below are some added sugar options that can easily help you avoid the side effects of sugar.
- Sucrose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Corn syrup
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Honey
- Molasses
- Malt syrup
- Cane sugar
Remember that the amount of added sugar included in the total sugar is typically expressed in grams per serving. Note the grams of sugar in total as well as the grams of sugar in each serving. It may say only 5 grams of sugar per serving, but if the normal amount is three or four servings, you can easily consume 20 grams of sugar or more.
Furthermore, watch how much sugar you put in your meals and drinks. Tea and coffee account for nearly half of the added sugar in our diets. Approximately two-thirds of coffee drinkers and one-third of tea drinkers add sugar or sweeteners to their beverages, according to a May 2017 Public Health study. Additionally, researchers found that added sugar accounts for more than 60% of the extra calories in these beverages. Dr. Hu has issued a warning, though, about being overly strict about cutting added sugar as this can backfire.
In summary, it’s critical to carefully balance your efforts to cut back on added sugar because doing so involves making healthier food choices in general as well as cutting out sweetness from your diet. Hopefully, this rich information will help you avoid experiencing the side effects of sugar.
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