Do you know how much sugar you consume each day? Most people tend to underestimate how much sugar they eat and drink. This is easy to do since it lurks in almost every processed food and beverage, including those that make health claims.
Sugar is a root cause of many of the most common health problems today. Since so many health authorities focus their contempt on fats in the diet, it’s no wonder people tend to have no idea just how sugar affects the body.
In fact, when it comes to heart disease and obesity, most are inclined to blame the hamburger rather than the milkshake. This has led to a situation where people are making themselves less healthy as they consume more of these unhealthy foods.
The truth is, sugar contributes to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. It’s hiding in your ketchup, crackers, and low-fat organic cookies, and it’s keeping you from achieving your weight loss goals.
How Excess Sugar Increases Body Fat
Carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates like sugar, elevate blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels are toxic, so your body responds by producing insulin. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone. It takes the calories you consume and stores them in your fat cells.
The more sugar you eat, the more insulin must be produced. This leads to more fatty acids stored in your fat cells. As you continue eating things that spike your blood sugar, your body needs more insulin in order to get it under control. The amount of insulin that used to get your blood sugar to healthy levels is no longer effective. This is insulin resistance.
Remember when you used to be able to eat gobs of sugar when you were a kid and not get fat? Your metabolism was healthy and functioning perfectly, and the sugar you ate was immediately used for fuel. Now, it is stored in the fat cells and is difficult to burn off.
Genetics play a role in this process. Everyone knows people who can eat junk food and drink soda, all the while maintaining a normal weight. Before you become too envious, keep in mind that although sugar isn’t increasing their weight, it is definitely affecting their health. Even if it isn’t apparent today, it will become obvious sometime in the future.
How Sugar Clogs Your Arteries
If you have a high level of triglycerides, removing foods that increase your blood sugar levels will bring it down. As nutritionists and other health authorities point the finger at saturated fats as the cause of modern disease, sugar continues to be at the root of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and many other illnesses.
Sugar attaches to proteins through a process called glycation. The sticky molecules attach to your artery walls, causing them to stiffen. When your blood pressure increases, this sticky attachment is pulled, tearing your artery wall.
Disease-causing bacteria invade the wound. Your immune system sends the medics–white blood cells and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)–to heal the site. The LDL didn’t cause the injury and is used by your body to mend the damage caused by sugar.
The spot where the injury occurred becomes swollen, just as if you had a cut or scrape on the outside of your body. When it becomes swollen, this wound in your artery is susceptible to further injury. The repeated cycle of injury and healing causes the artery to build up with LDL.
If you could take that artery out of your body, what do you think it would look like? You would see a lot of LDL clogging it up, but it wasn’t the cause of the clog. Sugar is the hidden culprit.
How Excess Sugar Raises Your Uric Acid Levels
Uric acid, most famous for its ability to crystallize and cause a painful condition called gout, has been found to be at elevated levels in people with cardiovascular disease. Uric acid is produced naturally as old cells are broken down and new cells are formed. It is normally excreted from the body.
Sugar creates uric acid within minutes after you eat it. Excessive sugar in the diet and insulin resistance raises uric acid levels. Elevated levels damage tissues that surround the heart and blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
According to Mercola.com, uric acid serves as an antioxidant at normal levels, but at elevated levels it becomes a pro-oxidant, increasing the risk of diabetes and kidney disease.
How Excess Sugar Sneaks its Way into Your Diet
Your body becomes more effective at absorbing sugar when you eat it on a regular basis. As this happens, it’s damaging effects also increase.
Sugar is contained in many food items. Pay attention to all labels, including condiments and beverages. Remember to observe not only the sugar content but serving sizes as well.
Research has shown that there is a link between sweet drinks, which include fruit juices, and childhood obesity. Fruit juice delivers a high dose of sugar without all of the added benefits contained in the rest of the fruit.
Although fruit contains sugar, it also contains fiber and micronutrients that add health benefits while slowing its digestion. Eating a large amount of it, especially of forms that have a high sugar content like dried fruit, can burden your system with a huge sugar load.
The toxic effects of sugar can be reversed if your body is given a chance to heal. Even though removing sugar from your diet can pose a challenge, it is worth the effort. Go sugar-free for two weeks and see how your cravings decrease and your health improves.
The grocery store shelves are filled with products that contain sugar. An increase in its consumption has led to a growing number of weight problems and other health issues. if you remove sugar from your diet, your body can heal from its damaging effects, and you can finally achieve your weight loss goals.
