This Is What Sugar Actually Does To Your Body
Apr 11, 2018 by apost team
Sugar can be an addiction for most of us, but not many of us like to think of it that way. Having an extra slice of cake at a party or putting honey on top of your granola doesn’t quite seem to equate to a drug addiction, but the truth is that sugar has a very similar effect, and it reaches far beyond your mental state.
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Take a second to think about all the things you ate today that may have contained sugar. Would you say it was about 25 grams, or less than 6-9 teaspoons? To put it into perspective, a large latte contains approximately 18 grams of sugar, which is already more than half of a woman’s recommended intake.
The truth is that sugar is always hiding in plain sight, even when we think we’re doing a good job of not having too much. We often think sugar is just found in sweets, but it’s also lurking in savory foods like pasta and sauces. According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, sugar can be found in 74% of packaged foods, even in some labeled to be “healthy” or “natural.”
There are over 61 names for sugar listed on food labels, which would make grocery shopping a daunting task for those who need to monitor their sugar intake (which should be all of us.) This has resulted in Americans consuming 66 pounds of added sugar per year, on average, which is a scary thought when you consider what this sweet carbohydrate is doing to your body.
University of California’s Kimber Stanhope wanted to further test the effect of sugar on a body by altering the diets of volunteers for her study. Subjects avoided foods like pasta, rice, and bread and had a sugary drink instead, which had harmful effects that started in the liver.
In the following video, Stanhope explains the different types of sugars and how they affect the body. She focuses on liquid sugars, which our bodies process differently than sugar found in foods. A study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, which is cited in Stanhope’s study, found that consuming one 12-oz can of soda per day can increase your risk of dying from heart disease by nearly one-third.
How does this happen? Stanhope will explain in the video below!
Considering sugar’s addictive and lasting negative health effects, do you think you will now be more cautious of how much you’re consuming on a regular basis? It’s amazing how much about your body can change if you avoid too much added sugar, as is evident in this recent video from Candace Lowry, who quit eating sugar for 30 days and lost 4 inches total from her waist and thighs.
It’s definitely not an easy task, but perfectly doable! At first it may seem difficult to fight your sugar cravings, but eventually your body won’t want it anymore and you’ll feel more energized and add years to your life!
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Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!