Excess Sugar Consumption Is A Major Killer - Report
Excess fat has been the most feared consequence of bad diet over the past years and for good reason. However, sugar is quickly taking its place due to sugar-related disorders including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease climb. Although WHO recommends that you get no more than 10% of your daily calories from sugar, the organization is considering lowering that amount to 5%. But before we go deeper into this topic, let’s first define what sugar is.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that is derived from two simpler forms of sugar which include fructose and glucose. Since sugar is a form of carbohydrate, it is mostly published as a sub-heading under carbohydrate when you look on the nutritional information of a product.
Sugar's harm on your body
A sugar-laden diet raises your risk of dying because of heart disease even if you are not overweight. This was highlighted in a study that was published by JAMA Internal Medicine. In a 15-year study on the effects of added sugar, it was found that participants who took about 25% of their calorie daily intake as sugar were more than two times likely to succumb to death from heart disease. This is very significant considering that added sugar makes up more than 10% of the calories an average American consumes, while 1 out of 10 people gets more than a quarter of their total calories from added sugar.
Beverages such as sodas and energy drinks are the biggest sources of sugar and they account for more than one-third of added sugar people consume. Drinking these beverages can raise the blood pressure and also stimulate the liver to deposit more harmful fats into the bloodstream. All these increase the risk of developing heart diseases. Other sources include fruit drinks, ice cream, yoghurt, cakes, pastries, and cookies.
According to the World Health Organisation, regular and excessive consumption of sugar greatly increases the likelihood preventable conditions like obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mental illness. Obesity and excess visceral fat results from excess fructose that cannot be utilised by the body to produce energy. This excess fructose is then broken down by the liver and transformed into fat globules which are transported and deposited around your abdomen and internal organs. Cancer cells feeds on glucose just like all other cells. However, unlike other cells, these cells cannot feed on other forms of fuel like fats and proteins. Excess consumption of sugar leads to obesity and excess visceral fat which are the two major causes of diabetes. Obesity, excess visceral fat, and diabetes are all increased by excess sugar consumption. In turn, this increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. High sugar amounts and chemical changes also expose the body to mental health issues.
Conclusion
The use of excess sugar is rampant today, whether knowingly or unknowingly. A major myth that has been believed by many people is that a calorie is a calorie. However, according to nutritionists, added sugar delivers empty calories. These are calories that are not accompanied by nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, the best alternative is to reduce the amount of sugary products that we consume and pick up more healthy alternatives for a healthy and happy life.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that is derived from two simpler forms of sugar which include fructose and glucose. Since sugar is a form of carbohydrate, it is mostly published as a sub-heading under carbohydrate when you look on the nutritional information of a product.
Sugar's harm on your body
A sugar-laden diet raises your risk of dying because of heart disease even if you are not overweight. This was highlighted in a study that was published by JAMA Internal Medicine. In a 15-year study on the effects of added sugar, it was found that participants who took about 25% of their calorie daily intake as sugar were more than two times likely to succumb to death from heart disease. This is very significant considering that added sugar makes up more than 10% of the calories an average American consumes, while 1 out of 10 people gets more than a quarter of their total calories from added sugar.
Beverages such as sodas and energy drinks are the biggest sources of sugar and they account for more than one-third of added sugar people consume. Drinking these beverages can raise the blood pressure and also stimulate the liver to deposit more harmful fats into the bloodstream. All these increase the risk of developing heart diseases. Other sources include fruit drinks, ice cream, yoghurt, cakes, pastries, and cookies.
According to the World Health Organisation, regular and excessive consumption of sugar greatly increases the likelihood preventable conditions like obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mental illness. Obesity and excess visceral fat results from excess fructose that cannot be utilised by the body to produce energy. This excess fructose is then broken down by the liver and transformed into fat globules which are transported and deposited around your abdomen and internal organs. Cancer cells feeds on glucose just like all other cells. However, unlike other cells, these cells cannot feed on other forms of fuel like fats and proteins. Excess consumption of sugar leads to obesity and excess visceral fat which are the two major causes of diabetes. Obesity, excess visceral fat, and diabetes are all increased by excess sugar consumption. In turn, this increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. High sugar amounts and chemical changes also expose the body to mental health issues.
Conclusion
The use of excess sugar is rampant today, whether knowingly or unknowingly. A major myth that has been believed by many people is that a calorie is a calorie. However, according to nutritionists, added sugar delivers empty calories. These are calories that are not accompanied by nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, the best alternative is to reduce the amount of sugary products that we consume and pick up more healthy alternatives for a healthy and happy life.