Most of us are eating
way too much sugar. The sweet stuff --
which also goes by names like fruit juice concentrate, fructose, honey and
syrup -- is found in 74% of packaged foods in our supermarkets. Besides all the drinks and treats that are
loaded with sugar, "savory"
foods like sauces, pickles, condiments, peanut butter, salad dressing, frozen
meals, bread, crackers, and chips often contain significant amounts of added
sweeteners. The average American now
consumes 22-28 teaspoons of added sugars a day -- mostly high-fructose corn
syrup and ordinary table sugar. That adds up to 350-440 empty calories.
Research is
increasingly finding that our high sugar consumption not only fuels weight
gain, but also directly contributes to our risk of chronic diseases like heart
disease and diabetes. Here's the lowdown on some of the consequences of a high
sugar diet.
Weight Gain & Obesity
Intake of
excessive sugar consistently results in weight gain. Sugary drinks, loaded with calories and
devoid of nutrients, are quickly digested so that they do little to satiate
hunger. A 2014 review of 68 different
studies found the more sugar intake increases, the more weight increases. Fortunately, the converse is also true. Want to lose weight? Cutting sugar intake is
a very effective place to start.
There is also
evidence that high sugar intake alters hunger-related hormones, increasing
appetite. Leptin is a hormone released
in response to food intake. It is
instrumental in the system that signals your brain you have had enough to eat. High sugar directly stimulate higher than
normal levels of leptin, which actually reduces the body's sensitivity to the
hormone, leading to chronic over consumption.
Although excess weight itself also contributes to leptin resistance, experimental
studies find that when excess sugar is removed from the diet, leptin resistance
improves.
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is
usually associated with salty foods, not desserts — but eating lots of added
sugar has also been linked to high blood pressure. In one study following 4,528
adults without a history of hypertension, consuming 74 or more grams of sugar
each day (about 20oz. of soda) was strongly associated with an elevated risk of
high blood pressure, independent of weight status. It is widely know that blood pressure
increases after a salty meal but it also responds to sugar intake. For example, a recent experimental study
found that drinking 60 grams of fructose elicited a spike in blood pressure two
hours later.
Heart Disease
A mounting body
of evidence indicates the odds of dying from heart disease
appear to rise in tandem with the percentage of sugar in the diet—and that
holds true regardless of a person’s age, sex, physical activity level, and
weight status. For example, a large 15-year long observational
study recently found participants who took in 20-25% of
their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart
disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar, and participants who consumed 30% of their daily calories as added sugar had a four-fold
greater risk of dying from heart disease.
Insulin
Resistance & Diabetes
Intake of excess sugar increases the body's demand for
insulin, a hormone that signals the cells to use digested sugars for fuel. Chronically
elevated insulin levels produce insulin resistance in the body's cells -- the
cells fail to take up sugar in the blood, leaving blood sugar levels elevated. Insulin resistance necessitates excessive insulin
production and high levels of insulin predisposes nutrients to be stored as
fat, especially in the abdominal region.
If unchecked, insulin resistance progresses into pre-diabetes and then
diabetes. A recent review of previous
research involving a total of 310,819 participants found that consistent intake
of sugar throughout the day (i.e. the duration of sugar exposure) and average
amount of sugar ingested (the dose) correspond closely with diabetes rates.
Fatty
Liver & Liver Failure
Most sweeteners are
made up of two kinds of molecular sugars, fructose and glucose. Fructose must be metabolized first by the
liver. Large intakes of fructose
increases deposition of detrimental fat in the liver (and other organs) that
can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
The incidence of fatty liver is strongly linked to rates of sugary drink
consumption. Fatty liver can progress to
full-on liver failure in some individuals, especially in those with additional
risk factors for liver failure.
Gout
Gout is a type
of arthritis that is triggered by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Classic dietary sources of uric acid include
high purine foods such as meat, shellfish, and beer but fructose metabolism
also increases uric acid production. A
recent study tracking thousands of men for over a decade found a strong
relationship between sugar consumption and rates of gout.
Cavities
Trust your
dentist on this one: sugar is the "arch criminal" behind cavities.
Tooth decay occurs when the bacteria that line the teeth feed on simple sugars,
creating acid that destroys enamel. The
consequences of dental health go beyond the mouth. Chronic dental inflammation adversely effects
heart health.
How Much Added Sugar Is Too Much?
As the evidence
of sugar's ill health effects has mounted, the dietary recommendations on sugar
consumption have become more stringent.
The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization
currently recommend that no more than 5% of daily calories come from added
sweeteners. This means cutting back
intake to 100-150 calories (i.e. 6½ to 9½ teaspoons --the amount of sugar in 8-12
oz. of soda ). The average American gets 18% of their calories from added
sweeteners, well in excess of the 5% limit. But, a few diet tweaks can help you
quickly reduce your sugar intake, knock down your disease risk, and improve
your weight status. Here's what to do:
Nix sweetened beverages:
More than one-third of the added sugar in Americans’ diets come from
sugary beverages like soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, sweet tea, lemonade,
and fruit punch. Just one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 10 teaspoons
of sugar which means that a single soda exceeds the recommended limit. Replace
sweetened drinks and juice which is concentrated with natural sugars with water
or seltzer. Liven up good, old-fashioned
H2O with healthy, flavorful add-ins like lemon, lime, fresh mint,
strawberries, cucumber, herbal tea sachets, or a splash of juice. When you need
something sweet opt for diet drinks or diet flavoring packets (such as Crystal
Light). While artificial sweeteners do
have some negative health effects -- they appear to increase our cravings for
sweets and slightly stimulate insulin production -- recent research reviews
have found they have no clear links to chronic disease risk.
Identify hidden sources of sugar:
Added sugar hides in dozens of foods you might not suspect. You can look
at the Nutrition Facts label to see how many grams of sugar are in the
specified serving size, though the label does not distinguish between natural
sugars and added sugars. Still, if it is
not a product with an obvious source of natural sugars such as fruits, milk, or
plain yogurt, you can assume the grams of sugar are from added sources. Divide the grams of sugar by four to learn
how many teaspoons of sugar is in a serving. Also, you can scope out added sugar by reading
the ingredient lists. Brown sugar, corn syrup, maltose, fructose, dextrose,
molasses, agave, brown rice syrup, cane syrup, evaporated cane juice, fruit
juice concentrate, date crystals, coconut crystals, and maple syrup are all
forms of added sugars. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so
if sugar is near the top that is a red flag the product is high in sugar.
For
the most part, sweeteners are similar in their calorie content and their effect
on blood sugar, so the most important thing is to limit them, regardless of
type. Still sweeteners with more glucose
such as dextrose and corn syrup (not high-fructose corn syrup which is a little
over 1/2 fructose) have less of an effect on insulin resistance, fatty liver,
and high tryglycerides than those high in fructose such as agave, apple juice
concentrate, and fructose.
Eat outside the box: Most of our sugar intake comes
from packaged and restaurant foods, so, to avoid added sugars, cook from
scratch or buy plain foods and, if desired, sweeten them just enough for your
needs. Adding in fiber rich fruit is a
great way to sweeten your food choices while still avoiding sugar isolates. Sometimes foods do not need more sugar but
just more flavor. Utilize vanilla and
other extracts, orange zest, unsweetened cocao powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom
and other spices to enhance the flavor of your foods.
Trade sweetened foods for naturally sweet fruit:
Instead
of concentrated sweeteners, sweeten up your foods with fruits and root
vegetables. Unlike concentrated sugars,
fruits and vegetables are packed with heart healthy fiber, vitamins, minerals,
and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. For example, in place of strawberry jam on
PB&J's, try sliced bananas, pureed sweet potato, unsweetened apple sauce,
or warmed up frozen fruit. Just one level tablespoon of jam packs 50 calories
and is typically made with three sweeteners: high fructose corn syrup, corn
syrup, and sugar while a half cup of frozen strawberries, warmed up on the
stovetop and seasoned with a little cinnamon, contains less than 25 calories plus
many beneficial nutrients. Fruit—whether
it’s fresh, baked, grilled, or pureed—makes a great replacement for sugar in
lots of dishes, from cookies to coleslaw. Do
not worry about overdosing on fructose, and sugar generally, from whole
fruits. However fruit juices and juice
concentrates, are significant sources of sugar that should be avoided as much
as possible. Unsweetened dried and canned fruits are also reasonable options
but go with fresh or frozen most of the time.
Think protein and fat: Moderating
carbohydrates in the diet, especially quickly digested carbohydrates such as
white flour, white rice, potatoes, and high sugar products can help to curb
sugar cravings. Refined carbohydrates
and sugar cause the blood sugar to rise rapidly, stimulating a large insulin
release that then causes blood sugar to plummet. To minimize this rapid rise and fall, control
your carbohydrate portions, and pair carbohydrates with protein, healthy fats,
and fiber. These can slow down the
release of blood sugar in your body and keep you full for longer. This is
especially important at breakfast, so, for example, add minced raisins and nuts
to your unsweetened oatmeal or pair your toast with an egg or unsweetened peanut
butter rather than jam. Including healthy fats (fats do not raise blood sugar)
such as nuts, seeds, avocado, and plant oils is especially helpful in curbing
sugar cravings.
Decrease gradually: Humans are hard-wired to love sugar. Sugar
intake stimulates the release of hormones in the brain that help us feel pleasure
and serenity. When you cut sugar out of your diet, you may find yourself in
sugar withdrawal. Try cutting back
slowly. For instance, if you normally put two sugars in your coffee, try one
for a time. For your cereal and yogurt,
mix half a serving of sweetened versions with unsweetened ones, and eventually
move on to just using fresh fruits in plain yogurt or unsweetened cereals. When you get sugar cravings, fight back. Opt for a naturally sweet fruit or
vegetable. Sometimes we craves sweets
when we are actually hungry, thirsty, or tired. Try satisfying these needs in healthy ways and
the sweets craving may go away. Or, if
it is a pick-me-up you are after, try doing something else you enjoy such as listening
to music, going for a walk, or playing a game on your phone.
Limit
sugary treats to 1-2 times per week: Pick
a day or two a week to have the sugary treat you love most. This will help you be deliberate about your
choices and bypass many of those incidental treats we encounter - on the
street, in the workplace, or in front of the TV. Just knowing that you have a pre-planned
treat to look forward to can help you avoid a good deal of sugar intake. When you do have a treat, slowly savor each
bite to maximize your satisfaction.
