Sugar Is Poison
This is a tough health issue to contain and minimize. But in a recent study, sugar is really one culprit in causing many diseases and yet it is in everything we eat. The study showed that sugar in any form (natural or artificial) is bad and there are good calories to consume and bad calories to avoid. The report also found that even though obesity is tied to diabetes and many other diseases, 40% of those within normal weight limits are also subject to similar diseases.
The study zeroed in on processed food and blamed the food for causing many health related problems because nearly all packaged foods contain sugar. Sugar was found to be listed under 56 different unsuspecting names (corn syrup, for instance). However, many names include dextran, lactose, sorbitol, fructose, but all are sugar. Table sugar or sucrose, provides needed energy to muscles and organs once in the blood. However. too much of it creates fat and is a factor of high cholesterol and arterial plaque. Sugar is a drug the body likes and for some, it is addictive. In processed foods, it is everywhere. The study showed that 25% of all diabetes type 2 is directly caused by excessive sugar. Too much also leads to a fatty liver, bad LDL and more.
There are several studies showing that excessive sugar intake and numerous diseases are directly related- a cause and effect. When compared to those with low sugar intake, it becomes clear that sugar is poison to the human body in any form. if your calorie intake total is 10-25% sugar you face cardiovascular problems than if your kept it to less than 10% of the total caloric intake. If it is more than 25%, the risk is tripled that you will have cardiovascular diseases.
The study was consistent across all age groups, races and gender. The study indicated that of the total calories consumed in a day, between 100-150 should be sugar, or 5%. So, if you consumer 2000 calories in a day, sugar should not be more than 150 of it. One problem consumers have is determining how much added sugar has been added to the food, in addition, to natural sugars. Sugar is in grains, nuts, fruits and veggies. Many times, food manufacturers add more sugar. Currently, the box will only provide the "total sugar" amount in a serving, so you cannot tell what is natural and what was added.
The food companies, like the old tobacco companies, claim there is no proof or danger in eating sugar and that it caused metabolic diseases. However, the study seems to prove it. If your body does not use the sugar for energy, it stores it in the liver. The best rule is to look at the food label and keep the sugar amount to the minimum per serving.
Still, easier said than done!
