Six Alarming Reasons You Should Avoid Sugar

Six Alarming Reasons You Should Avoid Sugar

Joe Leech is a Sydney-based clinical and sports Dietitian. He shares research-driven evidence at Diet vs Disease. Certain components of food have different effects on our brain. This includes the hormones that control food intake. Research shows that fructose does not affect satiety in the same way as glucose. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association compared the effects of those drinking a glucose-sweetened drink compared with a fructose-sweetened drink. The fructose drinkers had much less activity in the satiety centres of the brain and felt hungrier overall.

For many people with addictive personalities, sugar can become a harmful addiction. Similar to abusive drugs, sugar releases dopamine in the reward centre of the brain. Foods with added sugar tend to contain large quantities that trigger a huge dopamine release. This is the mechanism behind that ”sugar fix". The moderation message might not work for those with a sugar addiction; going cold turkey is your best bet.

Sugar is broken down into two simple sugars before it enters the bloodstream: glucose and fructose. Glucose is in every living cell on the planet. Our bodies make it if we don't eat enough. Fructose is not necessary for life. It can only be metabolised in the liver, and our bodies do not produce it in any significant amount. The liver can handle natural amounts of fructose, like fruits. But eating large and unnatural quantities, such as in junk foods and drinks, can overload the liver. This forces it to turn fructose into fat. Over time this process can lead to fatty liver disease and many more serious health problems. 40 per cent of Australian adults over the age of 50 have fatty liver disease.

Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from blood into the muscles. This is crucial as too much sugar in the blood is highly toxic, and is one of the drivers behind type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance refers to when insulin stops working as it should, leaving sugar to accumulate in the blood. The research shows that sugar intake is associated with insulin resistance, particularly when eaten in large quantities. Once insulin resistance becomes really bad, blood sugar levels skyrocket and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is made. It's no wonder a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found sugary beverage drinkers have up to an 83 per cent higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.

It's not exactly news fresh off the press... but it’s worth repeating. Added sugars contain absolutely zero essential nutrients. Just kilojoules. Hence the term “empty” calories. No proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals in sugar; just energy you didn't need.

Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide. Saturated fat was always made to blame, but it turns out added sugar may be the real villain here. Research from the Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that consuming large amounts of fructose raises small LDL cholesterol particles, triglycerides, blood sugar and insulin levels, and abdominal fat mass considerably - and all in as little as 10 weeks. These are all major risk factors for heart disease.