How much sugar is TOO much sugar?
I know, I know…donuts, gummies, alcoholic beverages, cakes, cookies, those yummy Starbucks drinks, etc. IT’S ALL SO GOOD. But it is so ridiculously so bad for you.
Did you know that according to the AHA (American Heart Association), the maximum amount of sugar that men should consume daily is 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories (37.5 g), and women should consume 7 teaspoons, or 100 calories (25 g)? But the average person consumes 22 teaspoons per day. Really take a second and think about that, because I know I would be lying to you if I said I intake 6 teaspoons or less of sugar in ONE DAY. I just had some chocolate ice cream for dessert, and I know for a fact that has way more than six teaspoons of sugar in it.
Lets think about what you normally have on a day to day basis…do you drink coffee with flavor pumps, sugar and cream? If you do, that right there is enough sugar for the next three days at leasrt. Or how about an energy drink or a caffeinated beverage like a Coke? IT IS INSANITY how much sugar is in a 24 oz Coca Cola bottle. Now you may think the zero sugar Coke’s are better for you, right? They may be a better alternative but they are not necessarily better for you at all. They need to make things sweet so they add in fake sugars such as aspartame, but this is a HUGE topic for another blog…
I’ll just leave this right here for you guys though…
Now, lets talk about what happens to your body when you have too much sugar.
- Weight Gain
Sugar foods and drinks are loaded with calories and will not satisfy your hunger. Sugar has absolutely no nutrients in it so it will do little to satiate your hunger. Sugar (sucrose) is actually two simple sugars stuck together: fructose and glucose. Glucose is VITAL to life and is an essential part of our metabolism. Fructose on the other hand, is extremely different and this molecule is NOT a natural part of our metabolism, and we do not and cannot produce it. The only organ in our body that can make use of fructose is our liver. When we eat a lot of sugar, most of the fructose gets metabolized by the liver and there it gets turned into fat and then secreted into the blood. This all leads to weight gain.
2. Liver Failure
Because of the unique way our body metabolizes fructose, our liver becomes over worked if we consume too much sugar every single day. High doses of sugar can put the liver into overdrive causing fat to build up in the liver, scarring the liver, leading into liver failure. This is obviously in extreme cases but just something to be aware of.
3. Diabetes
Diabetes affects over 25 million people in the United States. Although sugar does not directly cause diabetes, too much sugar increases a person’s risk in becoming a diabetic. It affect the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels.
4. Addiction
People being addicted to sugar is an actual thing. Sugar causes opiate and dopamine activity in the reward centers of the brain. So, when you eat sugar, your brain thinks its rewarding it which makes our brains think we want more of it. It becomes tough to break the habit. We get sugar highs, sugar lows where we just crash, and sugar creates this high that we get when we eat it.
5. Bad Skin
Refined sugar cause your insulin to spike which causes inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, resulting in pimples, saggy skin, and overall unwell looking skin.
Too much sugar can also cause cancers, bad moods, high blood pressure, cavities, nutritional deficiencies, along with so many other health issues!
Now, this isn’t to scare people into becoming sugar-phobics (I totally just made this up) because we all need a little sugar in our lives, but just be mindful of the amount of sugar you put into your body!
Much Love,
Alex
thebalanceddonut.com 