Joe Leech is
a Sydney-based clinical and sports Dietitian. He shares research-driven
evidence at Diet vs Disease. In this informative write, he dishes out
all you need to know about sugar and why you must avoid it.
Much like alcohol, smoking or Real Housewives marathons,
re-examining your relationship with sugar can reap significant health
benefits.
1. Sugar disrupts hormones in your brain
Certain components of food have different effects on our brain. This includes the hormones that control food intake.
Research shows that fructose does not affect satiety in the same way as glucose.
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical
Association compared the effects of those drinking a glucose-sweetened
drink compared with a fructose-sweetened drink. The fructose drinkers
had much less activity in the satiety centres of the brain and felt
hungrier overall.
2. The white stuff is addictive
For many people with addictive personalities, sugar can become a harmful addiction.
Similar to abusive drugs, sugar releases dopamine in the reward centre of the brain.
Foods with added sugar tend to contain large quantities that trigger a huge dopamine release. This is the mechanism behind that "sugar fix".
The moderation message might not work for those with a sugar addiction; going cold turkey is your best bet.
3. Sugar can hurt your liver
Sugar is broken down into two simple sugars before it enters the bloodstream: glucose and fructose.
Glucose is in every living cell on the planet. Our bodies make it if we don't eat enough.
Fructose is not necessary for life. It can only be metabolised in
the liver, and our bodies do not produce it in any significant amount.
The liver can handle natural amounts of fructose, like fruits. But
eating large and unnatural quantities, such as in junk foods and drinks,
can overload the liver. This forces it to turn fructose into fat. Over
time this process can lead to fatty liver disease and many more serious
health problems. 40 per cent of Australian adults over the age of 50
have fatty liver disease.
4. Sugar drives insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from blood into the
muscles. This is crucial as too much sugar in the blood is highly toxic,
and is one of the drivers behind type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance refers to when insulin stops working as it
should, leaving sugar to accumulate in the blood. The research shows
that sugar intake is associated with insulin resistance, particularly
when eaten in large quantities. Once insulin resistance becomes really
bad, blood sugar levels skyrocket and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is
made.
It's no wonder a study in The Journal of the American Medical
Association found sugary beverage drinkers have up to an 83 per cent
higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
5. A waste of space
It's not exactly news fresh off the press... but it's worth
repeating. Added sugars contain absolutely zero essential nutrients.
Just kilojoules. Hence the term "empty" calories.
No proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals in sugar; just energy you didn't need.
6. Added sugar can raise your heart disease risk
Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide.
Saturated fat was always made to blame, but it turns out added sugar may be the real villain here.
Research from the Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that
consuming large amounts of fructose raises small LDL cholesterol
particles, triglycerides, blood sugar and insulin levels, and abdominal
fat mass considerably - and all in as little as 10 weeks.
These are all major risk factors for heart disease.
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