The average American eats more than the recommended daily intake of sugar, leaving them open to a variety of health problems. Most people are aware of the sugar that comes from candies, cookies and ice cream, but a lot of sugar is also found in sugar-sweetened beverages, sodas, coffees, teas, milk, energy drinks. and sports drinks. It also comes hidden in prepackaged food, such as marinara sauce and refined carbs like white bread. Getting control of your sugar intake can help ward off sugar-related health diseases.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Americans. Did you know the odds of dying from heart disease rise tremendously with the percentage of sugar in your diet? Too much sugar in your diet can lead to obesity, inflammation and high blood pressure, all of which are the main causes of heart disease. When you consume too much sugar, over time, you will start to build an accumulation of fat around vital organs, such as your heart.
Type 2 Diabetes
Excess sugar consumption often leads to obesity, which opens you up to diseases like type 2 diabetes. As your body takes in the sugar, your blood sugar levels rise, signaling your pancreas to produce insulin, which goes into the bloodstream and produces energy. The excess sugar is stored as fat, and over time, the fatty tissues can cause abnormal insulin levels, which can lead to the pancreas not working correctly, causing diabetes. Almost one-third of the American population has diabetes or prediabetes, including young children.
Cancer
Glycosylation, a protein which contains sugar molecules, are found in large doses in cancer tissues. While sugar does not cause cancer, an excess amount of sugar feeds cancer. The sugar increases your insulin and blood glucose levels, which increases inflammation in the body. This supports cell growth in the body, causing the cancer cells to grow and spread at a faster rate than normal. It also makes cancer cells tougher to kill even with chemotherapy.
The recommended daily sugar intake is 10% of your diet. Therefore, with a 2,000-calorie diet, the limit is 20 grams of sugar. A 16-ounce can of soda contains 52 grams of sugar, so unless you’re eating more than 5,200 calories a day, which is not recommended, one soda puts you over your recommended daily intake. Being mindful of what you put in your body and watching your sugar intake will help ward off diseases.
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