Most of us are addicted to sweet items since our childhood and this addiction grows with time. Getting natural sugar from fruits and vegetables is good for us; however, this should also be taken in moderation. But do you know how much the added sugar is dangerous for our health? We all love to eat donuts, sugary items as well as carbonated drinks, which are all full of artificial/added sugar and high calories. These calories are not good for us, even they can create serious health issues apart from diabetes.
As compared to a few years back, people are more at stake of getting diabetes nowadays due to our unhealthy eating habits. According to a research on an average, the annual consumption of sugar by an American is 115 pounds. Isn’t it alarming? To stay on the safe side it is necessary to eliminate added sugar from our daily life.
Diseases caused by sugar (refined sugar)
Nowadays, a normal person eats more sugar per day as his body can handle and stay on high side can cause some serious ailments to your body.
• Tooth Decay
Food and beverages with the high amount of sugar can lead towards tooth decay. When we eat or drink any food item, the bacteria in our mouth utilize it to produce an acid which is harmful to our teeth. The acid affects the layer of enamel and destroys our teeth.
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• Obesity
When our body gets sugar, either it utilizes it in the form of energy or it stores it as a fat in fat cells. Studies show that more than seventy person adults and 20 percent children are suffering from obesity nowadays. One of the major causes behind this is high consumption of refined sugar products. Our sedentary lifestyle works as a catalyst to boost this issue.
refined sugar
• Diabetes
When we consume extra sugar, it is detected by the pancreas and it then releases ‘Insulin’ hormone to manage the high sugar level and stores it as glycogen. However, when sugar level is consistently high, pancreas keep releasing insulin, making the sugar level low and sending the body into sugar crash mode, wanting to eat more sugar. With every consumption, the level rises and the cycle continues. Similarly, when there is a lot of glucose in our blood, insulin stops working and the cell becomes resistant. Both the conditions can lead to type II diabetes.
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• Liver Disease
When sugar breaks down into glucose and fructose, its fructose part is stored in the liver as the fat cell. Furthermore, it slowing down your metabolism and creating a disease called Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
• Hearth Problem
Sugar can also be the main culprit behind your cardiovascular disease. Triglycerides can be raised due to high fructose level creating metabolic disorder and raising the oxidized LDL cholesterol.
Tips to reduce Sugar consumption, recommended sugar intake
No one can cut off sugar entirely at first, however, they should follow some tips to minimize or eliminate its consumption.
• Whenever you have the craving to eat something sweet, always go for natural sugar food rather than added sugar items. Such as preferring having date balls instead of brownies or prefer some fruits over cake or other bakery items.
• Avoid buying foods that have processed sugar in them, when you don’t have them at home, you won’t opt that too.
• Don’t force yourself to change, instead, make it your lifestyle and change your eating habits gradually.
• If it is difficult for you to quit sugar than start eating in portion, portion control is also a good way to reduce refined sugar consumption.
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For the adult person, sugar dose should be around 20 grams, and upper limit should be 35-36 grams, of course, all depends on the health of the body, weight, size…
At the end being consistent is the key to success. Don’t regret yourself if you have eaten your favorite dessert or any sugary item. Take a fresh start and again focus on your goal.
