Understanding Sugar

Why Sugar Isn't So Sweet

Consuming too much sugar can feed or trigger excess inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the immune system's natural response to injuries and foreign invaders. Once activated, millions of immune cells and chemicals are released to help repair tissue damage and fight against harmful viruses and bacteria. However, if those inflammatory substances are not cleared from your body over time, they can actually damage cells, the DNA in cells, tissues and organs. Environmental pollutants, stress, excess weight, lifestyle habits (such as smoking and being sedentary) or certain health conditions can cause chronic inflammation. An increased risk for heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, asthma and what some describe as "accelerated aging" of the body is linked with chronic inflammation.

Too much sugar affects triglyceride levels in the blood as well. Your liver stores sugar as glycogen. If more sugar is provided than what can be stored, the liver makes fats (triglycerides) from the sugar. A high level of triglycerides in the blood may increase the risk for atherosclerosis, the buildup of fat inside arteries.

Animal studies have shown that excess sugar in the diet may also deter the growth of good bacteria in the intestinal tract by slowing the production of certain proteins that encourage good bacteria to multiply.

Types of Sugar

Natural sugar

Fruits, vegetables and unsweetened dairy products have natural sugar in them. That's the good stuff. These sugars are packaged with loads of other health-boosting nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Produce has the added benefit of hundreds and hundreds of phytonutrients, plus a healthy dose of much-needed fiber. Dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk and some cottage cheeses also contain probiotics that help keep your gut happy.

Other natural sugars, such as honey, molasses and maple syrup, contain a similar number of calories when compared to highly processed white sugar. Though the natural options also contain nutrients that white sugar lacks, you would need to eat a substantial portion to gain a meaningful amount of nutrition.

Sugar substitutes

These products deliver sweetness without the calories. They don't "feed" inflammation, but some research suggests artificial sweeteners are not a healthful solution.

1. Depending on how much a person consumes, sweeteners like acesulfame, sucralose, aspartame and saccharin are controversial in terms of their safety.
    
2. Their intense sweetness may overstimulate our sense of what constitutes sweet. Over time, that could increase how much we need to eat to satisfy sugar cravings and may dull our interest in the naturally sweet flavors found in whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
    
3. They may mislead our body's response to eating food. If a sweet flavor is delivered but no or few calories come with it, our appetite may drive us to eat more in order to gain the calories the body anticipated would come with that artificially sweetened food.
    
4. New concerns exist on the effect sugar substitutes may have on our microbiome, specifically the balance of bacteria in our gut or intestines, which influences so many aspects of overall health. Artificial sweeteners may upset the bacterial balance, upping the risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Stevia extract, often considered a more natural low-sugar substitute, may also make unfavorable changes to the composition of the bacteria in one’s gut.

Sugar alcohols

Ingredients ending in "-ol," such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol, are sugar alcohols, sweeteners that have one-half to one-third the calories of sugar. Sugar alcohols are used to sweeten foods or give them bulk. Intestinal discomfort and other issues may result from ingesting these ingredients.

Added sugar

Herein lies the sweet spot for change. The average person consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. The American Heart Association recommends women and children (ages 2 to 18) consume less than 6 teaspoons each day. For men, less than 9 teaspoons is recommended.

To find out how much sugar is added to a packaged food, check the Nutrition Facts Panel. As of this year, companies must reveal the amount of "Added Sugar" contained in their products per serving. Four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar. Do the math, then compare it against the benchmarks listed above.

TOP SOURCES OF ADDED SUGAR IN THE DIET:

• Sweetened beverages (including sports drinks, fruit and tea drinks, flavored coffees and milks, and soft drinks)
• Snack foods and bars
• Sweets (candy and desserts)
• Breads, cereals and granolas
• Flavored yogurts
• Condiments (ketchup, sauces and salad dressings)

SUGAR ALIASES:
Look for these ingredients on food labels to identify hidden sugar:

• Ingredients ending in "-ose" (such as dextrose)
• Syrups
• Fruit juice concentrates (any type)
• Malts (such as maltodextrin, maltose and barley malt)

What about fructose?

Emerging research suggests that fructose, found in highly processed foods and beverages, may affect hunger hormones in your body, specifically leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone. Getting high amounts of fructose may thwart leptin's influence on hunger. Too much fructose from highly processed foods may also affect the pleasure-reward system in the brain, which has led researchers to explore whether there may be an addictive nature to sugar for some people.

Tips for a Sweet Life

1. DIY. Summer is the best season for adding great flavors to foods. Buy unsweetened beverages, yogurts and cereals. Sweeten them naturally with summer's bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs to slash sugar significantly compared to presweetened products.
 

2. Try full-fat versions of certain foods. Often when fat is removed from a food, sugar is added in its place to deliver taste, texture and satisfaction. Full-fat versions may keep your taste buds and stomach happy.
 

3. Get enough sleep. Studies show that when we’re not well rested, we crave (and eat) more sugary, salty and fatty foods.