5 Reasons to Stay Away from Sugar

Sugar, in its multiple forms, is an increasingly common ingredient in processed foods. In fact, many of us consume the equivalent of 53 heaping tablespoons of white sugar every day!

Many experts now agree that reducing sugar intake is an essential step for better health.

And in case you need more arguments, here are five reasons why to avoid refined (white) sugar.

Sugar causes the body to release more adrenaline than necessary, a fact that has been linked to hyperactivity in young children. It is important not to confuse this with the misleading advertising message that white sugar is a source of energy.

Consuming sugar makes the pancreas work harder to produce insulin. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas works excessively and therefore can no longer remove sugar from the bloodstream.

Sugar increases mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. If you are already an anxious or stressed person, sugar will not make your life easier, but a visit to our practice could.

Sugar is known to compromise the immune system because it reduces the effectiveness of white blood cells for a minimum of five hours.

Eating sugar can decrease beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and lead to an increase in harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Healthier choices away from sugar

Do you need to sweeten your food? Try adding raisins, dates, or honey. Alternative sweeteners like Stevia are also a better option: they are available in various forms, contain no calories, and do not raise blood sugar levels. Avoid consuming aspartame, glucose syrup, corn syrup, or products of this kind.