The 6 good reasons to avoid sugar

The addition of sugar is incredibly harmful. 6 reasons why you should avoid sugar. Yes, sugar really is that bad. It provides “empty” calories, is addictive and robs the body of energy, vitamins and in the end even health. Studies link it to obesity, heart disease and even cancer.

How much sugar is still healthy?

In spring 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) set the maximum daily intake recommendation for sugar (including hidden sugar in fruit juices or salad dressings, for example) at 25 grams. This is equivalent to about 6 teaspoons full or max. 5% of all the calories we eat every day.

Sugar addiction factor

But on average, we consume a full 47 sugar cubes per day – without even knowing it. Because the sweet poison is not only contained in obviously sweet things. It is also an ingredient in foods that taste sour or spicy, such as balsamic vinegar, coleslaw, or ready-made dressings. This is because sugar is an important flavor carrier.

Its omnipresence makes us addicted, because sugar appeals to the same regions in the brain that are activated by rewards. Our brain suggests that we want more and more of it, so we can’t resist any sweet temptation.

The blood sugar roller coaster

Our constant craving for sugar and the addictive factor starts a vicious cycle that makes us eat more and more of it. This phenomenon is also called the blood sugar roller coaster. It takes all the fun out of ice cream sundaes and is responsible for unwanted face gain and all sorts of health problems. To learn how to get a handle on your sweet cravings and get off the blood sugar roller coaster, check out my article, “Get Off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster.”

How sugar harms your body

1 . Sugar drains the body

Unfortunately, however, unlike other carbohydrates, the sweet poison provides purely nothing in the way of vitamins and minerals apart from energy. It even uses up our body’s vitamin and mineral reserves during metabolism without bringing new nutrients to the table. Especially the B vitamins and minerals are affected. So sugar makes us tired and we ask for more energy.

So when we consume too much sugar – even the hidden kind – it robs us of vitamins, minerals and energy.

You can find out if you have a vitamin deficiency with the guide “Recognizing vitamin deficiency, these are the alarm signs”.

A mineral deficiency can even lead to hyperacidity. Read more in the article: “Alkaline by Nature – the ultimate guide to acid-base balance”.

2. sugar damages skin and teeth

High insulin levels from eating too much sweet stuff are associated with acne. Sugar also combines with proteins in the blood to form dangerous new molecules that attack the proteins in our collagen and elastin fibers. This leads to dry, brittle, sagging skin and wrinkles. So if you are too much sweet should be targeted to counteract, for example, with collagen-building supplements such as Timeless Skin Anti-Wrinkle Complex from Ogænics. It provides the skin with everything you need to build collagen and helps it become smoother and firmer again with phytoceramides. Or our Beauty Fuel Skin Radiance Complex it provides 100% of the daily dose of natural vitamin C, contributing to collagen formation for healthy skin.

Sugar is also very bad for teeth because it provides easily digestible energy for the bad bacteria in the mouth that cause tooth decay.(1)

3. sugar contributes to fatty degeneration of the liver

Before sugar enters the bloodstream, it is converted into glucose and fructose. Glucose is found in every living cell on the planet. If we don’t get them from food, we produce them ourselves. Fructose is different. Our body does not need them and can only break them down via the liver.

This is not a problem if we eat a little of it (e.g. from fruit) or we just have a training session ahead of us. In this case, the fructose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver until we need it(2). However, if the liver is full of glycogen, fructose overloads our liver and forces it to convert the fructose into fat(3). Thus, if we eat large amounts of sugar, it can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), among other diseases(4, 5).

You can also find out how your liver can help you detox in the article “Detox: What you can do in everyday life to detox”.

4. sugar promotes type II diabetes

Insulin is a very important hormone in the body. However, too much glucose in the blood is toxic to the body and can lead to blindness, for example.

If we constantly eat too much sweet stuff, the cells can become resistant to insulin and no longer respond to it. This insulin resistance is the cause of many diseases … including metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and especially type II diabetes(6).

5. sugar could promote cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cells. Insulin is one of the most important hormones regulating this growth. For this reason, many scientists believe that constantly elevated insulin levels (a result of sugar consumption) may contribute to cancer. Several studies show that people who eat a lot of sweets have a much higher risk of developing cancer(7, 8, 9).

6. sugar damages your heart

For many decades, people have blamed saturated fat for heart disease. However, new studies show that saturated fatty acids are harmless(10). Instead, evidence is mounting that sugar, may be one of the leading drivers of heart disease.

Strictly speaking, it is about the harmful effects of fructose on the metabolism(11). Studies show that large amounts of fructose increase triglycerides, blood sugar and insulin levels, causing abdominal obesity in less than 10 weeks(12). These are risk factors for heart disease.

Conclusion

So watch out for added sugars in your food and avoid white sweeteners as an ingredient more often. If you can’t get away from it, it’s recommended that you turn to healthier alternatives than industrial sugar, and target your nutrient deficiencies with supplements like a good vitamin B complex like B-Happy and a collagen-building supplement like Timeless Skin Anti-Wrinkle Complex or our Beauty Fuel Skin Radiance Complex. Your body and your skin will thank you.

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