Sugar, How is it harmful to our body and how to avoid it?

Sugar for our body,  is it harmful? everybody mind has this question. Many people like to eat sweets and because of this habit they invite many diseases by eating more sugar in everything, the amount of sugar in our food will remain large and probably in the coming time we can suffer from very serious diseases like diabetes, obesity. 

              White Sugar

Guidelines of WHO about Sugar Intake

Seeing the health hazards of the excess sugar in the packaged food, even the World Health Organization (WHO) had to change its guidelines on the amount of sugar intake in our diet.

According to the new guidelines issued in 2015, the WHO recommends adults and children to not consume free sugars more than 10% of their total energy consumption.

A further cut down to 25 grams (6 teaspoons) or 5% of the total energy consumption is associated with more benefits.

About Free Sugar According to WHO

Free sugars, according to the WHO, comprise disaccharides (including table sugar or sucrose) and monosaccharides (like fructose and glucose) added to foods and beverages, and sugars naturally present in fruit juices, honey, syrups, and fruit juice concentrates.

On March 4, 2015, the WHO issued a new guideline to reduce the daily intake of free sugars for adults and children. “We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity, and tooth decay.

Making policy changes to support this will be key if countries are to live up to their commitments to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases,” explained

Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.

It is important to note that sugars naturally present in milk and the sugars in vegetables and fresh fruits do not fall under WHO guidelines, as there is no known association between these sugars and any possible adverse effects.

WHO is very particular about sugars ‘hidden’ in processed foods. Generally, people are ignorant of this type of sugar as they mostly relate sugar to sweets or sweetened products.

For instance, free sugars present in 1 tablespoon of ketchup amount to around 1 teaspoon, roughly 4 grams.

Similarly, one can of sugar-sweetened soda delivers around 10 teaspoons or 40 grams free sugars.

The Problem With Sugar

1. Sugar is Linked to Heart Disease

High sugar can cause obesity, inflammation, and more issues that can lead to deadly diseases over time.

It’s also all too easy to consume too much sugar. Just a single can of soda exceeds the recommended daily sugar limit, putting people at risk.

2. Sugar Causes Weight Gain

Today, sugar, not fat, is thought to be the major cause of obesity around the world.

When you consume simple sugars like fructose, you actually start to feel hungry and want to eat more, rather than feeling satiated.

Fructose can even affect the hormones that tell your body when to stop eating, so your body can’t properly regulate hunger anymore.

This is worst in sugary drinks, since they don’t address your hunger, but they add to your daily sugar consumption.

People are more likely to eat more than they need when they’re also consuming a lot of sugar in their beverages.

3. Sugar Leads to Diabetes

Sugar has also been linked to higher rates of diabetes.

Since obesity is the biggest diabetes risk factors, and sugar has been shown to cause obesity, reducing sugar consumption can also reduce the rates of diabetes.

Consuming a lot of sugar leads to insulin resistance, causing high blood sugar levels that increase the risk of diabetes.

4. Sugar is Linked to Depression

Sugar intake has also been linked to higher rates of depression. Depression makes it hard for people to get motivated to work out and make lifestyle changes, creating a negative loop of mental and physical illness.

Research has shown that people who eat a lot of sugar are more likely to become depressed. However, a healthy diet can counteract this effect by boosting your mood.

5. Sugar Has Been Linked to Acne

A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.

Foods with a high glycaemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycaemic index.

Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development.

6. Sugar May Increase Your Risk of Cancer

Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

First, a diet rich in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly raises your risk of cancer. Furthermore, diets high in sugar increase inflammation in your body and may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk.

7. Sugar May Accelerate the Skin Ageing

Process Wrinkles are a natural sign of ageing. They appear eventually, regardless of your health. However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed the skin ageing process.

Advanced glycation end products are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein in your body. They are suspected to play a key role in skin ageing.

Consuming a diet high in refined carbs and sugar leads to the production of AGES, which may cause your skin to age prematurely.

AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help the skin stretch and keep its youthful appearance. When collagen and elastin become damaged, the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag.

8. Sugar Can Lead to Fatty Liver

A high intake of fructose has been consistently linked to an increased risk of fatty liver. Unlike glucose and other types of sugar, which are taken up by many cells throughout the body, fructose is almost exclusively broken down by the liver. In the liver, fructose is converted into energy or stored as glycogen.

However, the liver can only store so much glycogen before excess amounts are turned into fat. Large amounts of added sugar in the form of fructose overload your liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by an excessive fat build-up in the liver.

Avoid taking too much sugar and save yourself from diseases and follow the right way of diet because if you have life you have the world.