The following is an excerpt from healthambition.com; click here to read the full article.
Sugar and spice and everything … not so nice?
Sugar is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about substances that cause disease. Sugar has long been touted as “natural” and the least of your worries when thinking about health and weight loss.
However, a lot of damage can be done when you consume sugar on a regular and excessive basis. And, besides the fact that sugar calories really do add up, sugar also causes additional problems in your body.
Sugar “only” has 15 calories per teaspoon. That doesn’t really sound like much of a problem until you realize that hardly anything has just one teaspoon of sugar in it.
Sugar is in practically everything we eat. Although some sources do occur naturally, like the sugars found in milk products and potatoes or fruit, it’s still good practice to limit your sugar intake and seek out the hidden sugars in your diet.
Is it Natural?
Is sugar really “natural?” If you really want natural, you’d have to break off a piece of sugar cane and eat that for the true natural version of sugar. The white, granular, powdery stuff that comes out of huge factories, after it’s been processed and manipulated by man with various chemicals and additives, is not a natural substance.
Get the Know on how Much You’re Consuming
Most labels list sugar in “grams.” This can make it very confusing for most of us. A teaspoon of granulated white sugar is equal to about 4 grams.
Therefore, take the grams of sugar listed in the food item and divide by 4 to get an approximate number of teaspoons. For example, a bottle of Snapple “All Natural” Lemon Tea has nine teaspoons of sugar in it.
One of my old favorites, a Starbucks Venti Non-Fat Caramel Macchiato, has 44 grams of sugar in it, which translates to about 11 teaspoons of sugar. That’s a whole lot of sugar for something we think of as a benign and healthy low fat or fat free drink.
Sugar Aliases
Sugar is everywhere. It’s in places that you’d least expect to find it, like ketchup and other condiments, peanut butter, sauces, yogurts, deli meats, soups, juices, cereals and more.
Many foods also have a high natural sugar content and these should also be avoided for the most part.
Just because something is labeled “fat-free” or “low fat” doesn’t mean that it’s healthy or sugar free. A lot of “diet” foods are actually sugar-laden health traps. Things that are fat-free are generally overloaded with sugar to give you extra “taste” because the fat has been removed.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is another fancy name for sugar and something that should be avoided at all costs. This substance is found in almost everything.
Some other, lesser known aliases for sugar include: malt, fructose, glucose, dextrose, lactose, maltodextrin, sorbitol, sorghum, sucrose, mannitol, and many others.
The Negative Effects of Sugar
There are literally no nutritional benefits associated with the consumption of sugar. There is no protein, vitamins, minerals or essential fats — just empty calories.
Being told “sugar will rot your teeth” as a child was not just your mother’s way of coaxing away those chocolate chip cookies. It’s actually a cold, hard fact. Science tells us that sugar actually provides energy for the bad bacteria in your mouth, making it very bad for your teeth (source).
It is important to understand that sugar comes in two forms: glucose and fructose. Glucose is natural, it is found in every living cell and if we don’t get any in our diet, our body will produce it anyway. Fructose, however, is different. Our body is only capable of dealing with small amounts at one time.
When your cells start to become resistant to insulin, your body produces more of this important hormone in order to level out blood sugar. However, insulin resistance is progressive and as the situation gets worse, your body simply cannot keep up with the demand for insulin. This is when your blood sugar levels go through the roof and you are left with type 2 diabetes. Take into account that science tells us that people who drink sugar sweetened beverages are actually 83% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (source)
Alternatives
Luckily, there are some sweet alternatives to sugar. While there have been, and continue to be, many artificial sweeteners on the market, there are some choices that are better than others.
First and foremost, satisfying your sweet tooth with the goodness of fruits and berries is a good option. But again, too much of a good thing is still too much. You don’t want to consistently fill your diet with high glycemic foods, even healthy choices like fruits. Your goal should be to keep your blood sugar low and stable.
Try stevia for a great sugar substitute. Stevia comes from a leaf and does not affect blood glucose levels. It is a great sugar alternative, especially for those with diabetes. Stevia comes in various forms like liquid drops or powders. You can purchase it in packets as well. Some of the brand names for stevia are Truvia, Sweet Leaf, Stevia In The Raw, and PureVia.
Splenda, also known as sucralose, is another popular sweetener. Although it doesn’t share the healthy reputation of stevia, splenda has been used for years. It’s not a natural sweetener. It’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener, so user beware.
Xylitol is yet another sweetening option. It is a “sugar alcohol.”Sugar alcohols often cause diarrhea and bloating, so test your tolerance first with xylitol before consuming large amounts.
By Helen Sanders, chief editor at HealthAmbition.com. Established in 2012, Health Ambition has grown rapidly in recent years. Its goal is to provide easy-to-understand health and nutrition advice that makes a real impact by making sure actionable advice can be followed by regular people with busy lives.
