Sugar! Sugar! Sugar! Oh, how we love thee. Sugar is the star of most of our holidays, including the upcoming Valentine’s Day. Its name alone means sweetness to us and it has been used in tons of song lyrics and song titles. We are always looking for ways to preserve our ability to partake in its sweetness by developing laboratory created alternatives to the natural version like Equal, Splenda, Sweet and Low, and High Fructose Corn Syrup (to name a few). I was recently asked by a friend if eating too much sugar was bad for your health or if it was all the other chemicals in those sugary foods that was the problem. My answer was, I understand that it is a combination of both factors. Let’s talk about sugar though. Not the kind we find naturally in produce but all of the added sugars known as white, brown and raw sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, pancake syrup, fructose sweetener, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, dextrose, anddextrin. This list of added sugars can be found here: . Many times these added sugars are found in foods that have very little fiber or protein to help slow the rush of sugar into the blood stream. Fruits and Veggies, on the other hand, have buddies, Fiber and Protein which slow the absorption of the naturally occurring sugar and help keep that crazy sugar spike under control. When these added sugars are eaten they often cause a spike in blood sugar which triggers the body to release large amounts of insulin. More on that in a minute. Most of these foods with added sugars are low in nutrients such as Soda, Prepackaged Cakes, Pre-packaged Cookies, Cereal, Yogurt, Breads, Ice Cream, and many “health” foods as well. Did you know that most regular 12 oz. sodas have about 10 teaspoons of added sugar? I definitely couldn’t see myself handing my child a glass of water with 10 teaspoons of sugar added to it or drinking one myself…chaos would ensue! So let’s quickly talk about what happens toall that sugar. Once the added sugar is absorbed into the blood stream your body releases insulin. Insulin is sometimes called your Master Hormone. It is the key to unlocking your cells to allow them to use that sugar as energy. Here’s the problem with too much sugar… Diabetes If you repeatedly consume too much sugar and your body keeps releasing too much insulin, your cells will start to resist being unlocked by the insulin. Cells know how much glucose they need. You may have heard the terms ‘pre-diabetic’ or ‘insulin resistant.’ The extra sugar or glucose that the cells don’t need will be sent on its merry way and stored as fat in the belly and also stored in the liver for later use. If you continue consuming too much sugar, releasing too much insulin, the cells will start to resist even more, which leads to Type 2 Diabetes. With Type 2 Diabetes even more Insulin is needed to get a response from the cells to let the glucose in. Do you see the vicious cycle here? Eventually yourpancreas can wear down and no longer make enough of the master hormone to unlock the cells. This is what is called insulin dependent. That doesn’t sound like much fun and trust me, it’s not! Heart Disease So not only can repeatedly eating too much sugar lead to Diabetes, but it can also lead to Heart Disease. There is a process called Glycation. Glycation is when those extra sugar molecules join up with a special protein molecule and form sticky junk, AEGs, that stores itself in your arteries. This causes the arteries to become stiff. Stiff arteries cause lots of problems for the body, including high blood pressure. Did I also mention that Glycation causes aging? It does. For more details on Glycation and Diabetes check out this book: Dr. William Sears, MD with Martha Sears, RN (2010). Prime Time Health: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Feeling Young and Living Longer. We could keep adding to the list of issues From Excess Sugar Consumption. Here are a few… Mood Swings DiarrheaConcentration Issues Obesity Now that we know a little bit about the effects eating too much sugar has on the body, what ways do you think you and your family might reduce your sugar intake?
