Natural Ways to Reduce Your Sugar Intake
1. Introduction
Reducing sugar intake can improve a person's overall health. Too much sugar can have harmful effects on the body, including the side effects of addiction, which can lead to health problems such as heart disease. Luckily, there are many natural ways to reduce sugar intake for those who are looking to make a change. Natural sweeteners like honey and agave can create the same level of sweetness as sugar, but can provide essential nutrients and minerals that refined sugar does not. Also, the body does not recognize sugar in the same way as a solid food. Most liquid sugar calories are consumed in sweetened beverages. When consumed, liquid calories do not make people feel full and people will not eat less to compensate. So, people with a high intake of liquid sugar have an increased risk of weight gain, obesity, and type two diabetes. High sugar intake can also have a damaging effect on the liver. When people eat fructose, it's processed by the liver. If people eat too much in a day, the liver will become overloaded. As a result, the body will turn the fructose into fat. Over time, this can lead to the development of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is a serious condition that can cause weight gain and diabetes. By reducing sugar intake, people can lower the risk of heart disease. High levels of sugar consumption can lead to higher blood pressure - an even higher risk factor leading to heart attacks as high blood pressure can cause the heart muscle to thicken and become weaker over time.
1.1 Benefits of Reducing Sugar Intake
Reducing sugar intake has many health benefits. For example, a lower risk for dental cavities and periodontal disease is associated with cutting sugar out of your diet. This is because sugar is now recognized as the most important dietary factor in the development of dental decay. Furthermore, it is proven that reducing sugar intake lowers the risk of obesity. In fact, obesity rates are highest amongst people who consume the most soft drink and fruit punch - one of the highest sources of added sugars in the American diet. Sugary drinks are also the number one source of calories in the diet. Besides reducing calories, limiting sugar sweetened drinks also helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Too much sugar may lead to a fatter liver and a higher risk for liver diseases.
The liver metabolizes fructose and excessive amounts can result in the liver being overloaded which leads to several harmful metabolic effects, such as the production of fat. High sugar consumption has been linked to an increased risk of pancreatitis - the inflammation or infection of the pancreas. Since the job of the pancreas is to help the body manage blood sugar, pancreatitis is a serious health problem since it can put the pancreas's ability to manage sugar at risk. Excessive sugar in the bloodstream over long periods of time can affect the circulatory system.
Firstly, the high sugar concentration in the blood can damage the artery walls and increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Secondly, high levels of certain blood fats and the inflammatory state that results can then affect artery and blood vessel health. In that long, these can increase the risk of a heart attack. A decrease in sugar intake may lead to a stronger immune system. When viruses and bacteria invade the body, the sugar in the bloodstream can affect how much blood white blood cells can eat. White blood cells help the body fight off infections - and they must consume vitamin C in order to perform their tasks. However, vitamin C and sugar have similar chemical structures, so when sugar is present, it actively competes with vitamin C for space in the cells. As a result, if there is more sugar than vitamin C and taken out by white blood cells, then their ability to fight off microbes can be greatly reduced. Last but not least, some researches have suggested that too much sugar might have a negative affect on emotional well being and increase the risks of depression. Symptoms of low blood sugar such as nervousness, anxiety and mood swings are commonly experienced by high sugar eaters. In addition, high blood sugar levels have been linked to a higher risk of depression and other mental health issues. How can modern medicine not keep up with the adverse affects of high sugar on the body? It is generally accepted that too much sugar is bad for you yet this is not genuinely acknowledged and embedded into global health policy. In fact, the World Health Organization has failed to ask people to cut down on their sugar intake until last October, due to fear from political backlash from food industries. It is not fair for the general public when information, education and awareness on the unification of sugar and health does not receive substantial attention and promotion. However, it is refreshing to see the publication of the U.S Dietary Guidelines for 2015-2020, thus increasing awareness and debunking common sugar-related myths.
1.2 Understanding the Dangers of Excess Sugar Consumption
Excessive sugar consumption raises a lot of health problems which many people are unaware of. Obesity is one of the most well-known dangers of too much sugar in your diet. When people take in too much sugar, the excess that isn't used for energy is converted into fat and stuck on your body. It is said that obesity is one of the main causes of the disease, and that is because it gives a larger chance of getting health disease. People are more likely to get type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type of diabetes in the world. It causes the body's glucose level to be too high. Also, you could get a fatty liver. A fatty liver is where fat is built up in the liver and it can cause inflammation. In the worst case, it can cause liver failure. It is believed that too much sugar can cause stresses on your heart. Not only will it lower the good cholesterol in your body, but it will also increase blood pressure which can have serious consequences on your health. Many people think that too much sugar can only affect how much they weigh or that it will only cause tooth decay. Well, a high sugar diet can do more harm than help. Lastly, one of the main dangers of consuming high amounts of sugar is tooth decay. Tooth decay is caused by the acid in your mouth which is created by the bacteria in the plaque on your teeth. This acid then slowly dissolves the enamel of your teeth creating holes known as cavities. The last thing many people do not know is that tooth decay and gum disease can lead to many serious complications. These include permanent damage to your jaw, gums, and the surrounding area, which can lead to the loss of teeth.
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