Sugar Is Bad For Health – Kick The Sugar Habit And Reap The Rewards
We all know that sugar is bad for health, but how bad is it really? The reality is that sugar can have some serious health implications if consumed in excess, and by excess, we are referring to more than 6 teaspoons a day. Too much sugar can lead to obesity, dental decay, heart disease, NAFLD, metabolic syndrome, gout, leaky gut, depression, asthma, and other serious illnesses.1
It’s not just sugary sweets and sodas that are to blame; sugar is also added to many other processed foods. To avoid consuming too much sugar, it’s important to check ingredient labels for added sugars and choose foods that are lower in sugar. Eating from my Cellular Healing Diet is a great way to reduce your overall sugar intake.
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Alters The Function Of The Mitochondria
Too much glucose in cells resulting from an excess intake of sugar disrupts lipid composition throughout the body. This, in turn, impacts the integrity of the mitochondria and results in the loss of optimal function.
The negative effects of this mitochondrial disruption are far-reaching, ranging from decreased energy levels, muscle weakness, and difficulty concentrating, to more serious long-term health issues such as neurological diseases. To maintain optimal health and prevent the onset of these conditions, it is essential to balance sugar intake with a healthy diet and lifestyle.2
Sugar Is Bad For Health Because It Results In Oxidative Stress And Inflammation
High sugar consumption has been linked to oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which can harm our overall health. It is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is a major factor in the development of many diseases and health conditions. Research has established links between inflammation and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, asthma, allergies, and depression. It can also aggravate existing conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and chronic pain.3
Chronic inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system is unable to adequately respond to viruses or other foreign invasions. As a result, it begins producing an excessive amount of white blood cells and inflammatory compounds to fight the perceived threat. This prolonged state of heightened alert can eventually lead to tissue damage and an increased risk of developing a chronic illness.
Fructose Is Bad For Health
Fructose, a natural sugar found in many fruits, is not without its health risks. Consuming too much fructose can lead to a variety of health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Eating large amounts of fructose has been linked to increased levels of LDL cholesterol, associated with an increased risk of heart disease.4
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a common sweetener found in many processed foods and beverages. It is composed of corn syrup that has been highly treated to contain a high percentage of fructose, making it much sweeter than regular corn syrup. While HFCS can provide an economical source of sweetness, its health implications are not as sweet.
Studies have linked high fructose corn syrup to an increased risk of obesity, and heart disease. This is due in part to the fact that it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, more than other forms of sugar, which can contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance. Additionally, research has found that HFCS increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of diseases that increases the risk of developing heart disease.5
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Cardiovascular Disease
Regular consumption of added sugar is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). When looking at large population studies, individuals who consume more added sugar than the recommended amount are more likely to have higher blood pressure, higher triglyceride levels, and lower HDL cholesterol, all factors that increase the risk for CVD. Additionally, people who consume a lot of added sugar have increased levels of inflammation in their bodies, which is associated with an increased risk for CVD.6
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver condition characterized by the accumulation of fat in liver cells. It is closely related to metabolic syndrome and can be caused by obesity, high cholesterol, or genetics. People with NAFLD may experience symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice.7
Read more about NAFLD.
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Obesity
Sugar has been linked to an increased risk of obesity. This is because sugar is high in calories and quickly absorbed by the body. Consuming too much sugar can cause weight gain, especially when combined with a sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity. Additionally, sugar provides no essential vitamins or minerals, so it doesn’t add any nutritional benefits.8
Read more about how to lose weight.
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. These conditions increase the risk of heart disease. Eating too much sugar has been linked to metabolic syndrome and its associated health risks including obesity, heart disease, fatty liver disease.10
Read more about metabolic syndrome.
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when too much uric acid forms crystals in the joints, causing inflammation and pain. One of the most commonly discussed food culprits in relation to gout is sugar. It’s important to note that sugar itself does not directly cause gout, rather, it can increase levels of uric acid in the blood. When too much uric acid builds up in the bloodstream, it can form deposits of crystals around the joints and trigger gout.15
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Leaky Gut
Sugar is a major factor in causing Leaky Gut Syndrome. Eating sugar can damage the lining of the intestine, leading to increased permeability of the intestinal wall. This allows undigested food particles, bacteria, toxins, and other substances to pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation in the body.16
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Depression
Sugar and depression are closely linked. Studies have shown that sugar can affect mood in a variety of ways. For example, when people eat large amounts of sugar their mood often becomes elevated for a short period of time, and then quickly falls back down below baseline. Research has also found that too much sugar can lead to feelings of irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.17
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Asthma
Sugar itself does not cause asthma, but it can be a trigger for an attack and make asthma symptoms worse. Studies have found that consuming sugary foods can increase levels of inflammation in the airways, making them more sensitive to allergens and other triggers. Eating large amounts of sugar-rich foods can also weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to defend against allergens and other asthma triggers.18
Sugar Is Bad For Health – Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that produce acids which in turn break down tooth enamel. Sugar consumption is one of the primary causes of tooth decay. Sugar provides fuel for bacteria to create more acid, which can lead to cavities. The more sugar you consume, the greater your risk for tooth decay.19
How To Stop Eating Sugar
Identify high-sugar foods and drinks. Make a list of all the foods and drinks containing added sugar that you consume regularly. This includes sugary snacks, desserts, processed foods, and sweetened beverages. Phase these foods out with whole foods defined in my Cellular Healing Diet.
The Cellular Healing Diet
My Cellular Healing Diet is focused on limited carbohydrate consumption and instead promotes high-fat, moderate protein whole foods that heal the body on the cellular level. Foods like organic, grass-fed meat have been consumed by humans for tens of thousands of years. It is only recently that humans have switched to high-carbohydrate diets and our health has collectively suffered as a result. At this point, we can clearly see that sugar is bad for health.
Read more about the benefits of performing a cellular detox.
References
1 StudyFinds.org. (2023, April 6). More than 6 teaspoons of sugar daily increases risk of 45 different health problems. Study Finds. https://studyfinds.org/6-teaspoons-of-sugar-health/
2 Van Andel Research Institute. (2021, August 3). An overactive sweet tooth may spell trouble for our cellular powerplants. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 20, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803175250.htm
3 Marzena Wojcik, Michal Krawczyk, Andrzej Zieleniak, Katarzyna Mac Marcjanek, Lucyna A. Wozniak, Chapter 14 – Associations of high blood sugar with oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes, Editor(s): Harry G. Preuss, Debasis Bagchi, Dietary Sugar, Salt and Fat in Human Health, Academic Press, 2020, Pages 305-323, ISBN 9780128169186, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816918-6.00014-7.
4 Stanhope KL, Bremer AA, Medici V, Nakajima K, Ito Y, Nakano T, Chen G, Fong TH, Lee V, Menorca RI, Keim NL, Havel PJ. Consumption of fructose and high fructose corn syrup increase postprandial triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-B in young men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Oct;96(10):E1596-605. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-1251. Epub 2011 Aug 17. PMID: 21849529; PMCID: PMC3200248.
5 Ferder L, Ferder MD, Inserra F. The role of high-fructose corn syrup in metabolic syndrome and hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2010 Apr;12(2):105-12. doi: 10.1007/s11906-010-0097-3. PMID: 20424937.
6 Ahmad A, Isherwood C, Umpleby M, Griffin B. Effects of High and Low Sugar Diets on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2020;66(Supplement):S18-S24. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.66.S18. PMID: 33612591.
7 Jensen T, Abdelmalek MF, Sullivan S, Nadeau KJ, Green M, Roncal C, Nakagawa T, Kuwabara M, Sato Y, Kang DH, Tolan DR, Sanchez-Lozada LG, Rosen HR, Lanaspa MA, Diehl AM, Johnson RJ. Fructose and sugar: A major mediator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Hepatol. 2018 May;68(5):1063-1075. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.019. Epub 2018 Feb 2. PMID: 29408694; PMCID: PMC5893377.
8 Stanhope KL. Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2016;53(1):52-67. doi: 10.3109/10408363.2015.1084990. Epub 2015 Sep 17. PMID: 26376619; PMCID: PMC4822166.
9 Lean ME, Te Morenga L. Sugar and Type 2 diabetes. Br Med Bull. 2016 Dec;120(1):43-53. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldw037. Epub 2016 Oct 5. PMID: 27707695.
10 Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, Després JP, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 2010 Nov;33(11):2477-83. doi: 10.2337/dc10-1079. Epub 2010 Aug 6. PMID: 20693348; PMCID: PMC2963518.
11 Yuan C, Joh HK, Wang QL, Zhang Y, Smith-Warner SA, Wang M, Song M, Cao Y, Zhang X, Zoltick ES, Hur J, Chan AT, Meyerhardt JA, Ogino S, Ng K, Giovannucci EL, Wu K. Sugar-sweetened beverage and sugar consumption and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality according to anatomic subsite. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1481-1489. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac040. PMID: 35470384; PMCID: PMC9170474.
12 King MG, Chandran U, Olson SH, Demissie K, Lu SE, Parekh N, Bandera EV. Consumption of sugary foods and drinks and risk of endometrial cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Jul;24(7):1427-36. doi: 10.1007/s10552-013-0222-0. Epub 2013 May 9. PMID: 23657460; PMCID: PMC3683350.
13 Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Consumption of sugar and sugar-sweetened foods and the risk of pancreatic cancer in a prospective study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1171-6. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/84.5.1171. PMID: 17093171.
14 Debras C, Chazelas E, Srour B, Kesse-Guyot E, Julia C, Zelek L, Agaësse C, Druesne-Pecollo N, Galan P, Hercberg S, Latino-Martel P, Deschasaux M, Touvier M. Total and added sugar intakes, sugar types, and cancer risk: results from the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Nov 11;112(5):1267-1279. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa246. PMID: 32936868.
15 Ayoub-Charette S, Liu Q, Khan TA, Au-Yeung F, Blanco Mejia S, de Souza RJ, Wolever TM, Leiter LA, Kendall C, Sievenpiper JL. Important food sources of fructose-containing sugars and incident gout: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ Open. 2019 May 5;9(5):e024171. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024171. PMID: 31061018; PMCID: PMC6502023.
16 Binienda A, Twardowska A, Makaro A, Salaga M. Dietary Carbohydrates and Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Leaky Gut Syndrome: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Nov 8;21(21):8368. doi: 10.3390/ijms21218368. PMID: 33171587; PMCID: PMC7664638.
17 Knüppel A, Shipley MJ, Llewellyn CH, Brunner EJ. Sugar intake from sweet food and beverages, common mental disorder and depression: prospective findings from the Whitehall II study. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 27;7(1):6287. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05649-7. PMID: 28751637; PMCID: PMC5532289.
18 Xie L, Atem F, Gelfand A, Delclos G, Messiah SE. Association between asthma and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the United States pediatric population. J Asthma. 2022 May;59(5):926-933. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2021.1895210. Epub 2021 Mar 10. PMID: 33625285; PMCID: PMC8846412.
19 Lagerweij M, van Loveren C. Chapter 7: Sugar and Dental Caries. Monogr Oral Sci. 2020;28:68-76. doi: 10.1159/000455373. Epub 2019 Nov 7. PMID: 31940627.
