Do you have sugar cravings? For many of us, there is nothing better than having that rich chocolate cake or the perfect vanilla ice cream. We all know they’re bad for us, but sometimes we just can’t help ourselves. But that one slice of cake or scoop of ice cream and even too much sugar in your coffee or sweet tea can have long-lasting effects on your health and wellness. Here are 5 reasons you should stop eating sugar today:
1. Sugar can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
2. Sugar accelerates aging.
After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.
3. Sugar can drain your energy
High-sugar foods can negatively impact your energy levels by causing a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash.
4. Sugar can accelerate cognitive decline
High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and have been linked to an increased risk of dementia.
5. Your immune function can be affected by sugar.
As if being sick wasn’t bad enough, studies have shown that sugar can interfere with the way your body fights disease. Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up and cause infections.
While these may seem scary it is possible to help prevent the increased risk sugar can have by simply cutting it down or out altogether. It may seem close to impossible to cut out sugar because it's in almost everything we want to eat. BUT IT IS POSSIBLE! There are several substitutes that can be used that contain little to no sugar and are much better for you as well. When it comes to snacks, swap out that candy bar by eating fruit that has natural sugars and can satisfy that sweet tooth!
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- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1818791
- Sensi, M., Pricci, F., Andreani, D., et al., “Advanced Nonenzymatic Glycation End products (AGE): Their Relevance to Aging and the Pathogenesis of Late Diabetic Complications." Diabetes Research, 16(1), 1991, pages 1-9.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2768570/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4551584/
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc1311765
- https://www.academia.edu/26811490/Modification_of_a_transplantable_colon_tumor_and_immune_responses_in_mice_fed_different_sources_of_protein_fat_and_carbohydrate
- Nutter, R.L., Gridley, D.S., Kettering, J.D., et al., “Modification of a transplantable colon tumor and immune responses in mice fed different sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrate." Cancer Letters, 18(1), 1983, pages 49-62.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/natural-sugar-substitutes#section7
