Cutting Back on Sugar: A Key to Disease Prevention

Too much sugar seems to be hidden in so many of the foods and drinks we consume on a daily basis. But did you know that this overconsumption of added sugars can seriously harm your body if left unchecked? As Dealnew readers know, we aim to provide valuable health and wellness information. In this article, we will explore how too much sugar can negatively impact your body and what you can do to avoid those risks.

A Sugary Snapshot

On average, Americans take in around 77 grams of total sugar per day - that's over 19 teaspoons. But health authorities recommend no more than 10% of our daily calories (around 50-60 grams for most) come from added sugars. Where is all this excess sugar hiding? In many packaged and processed foods as well as beverages:

• Baked goods like muffins, donuts and cakes are loaded with added sugars for moisture and flavor. Just one blueberry muffin packs 7-10 grams of sugar.

• Fruit juice isn't much better - a single 12-ounce serving of orange juice has over 21 grams of natural and added sugars with littleiber or protein to slow absorption.

• Breakfast cereals like frosted flakes tout added brown sugar and corn syrup. A 3/4 cup serving boasts 24 total grams of sugar.

• Sodas, energy drinks, flavored coffees and sweetened bottled teas are sugar delivery systems in liquid form. A 20-ounce Coke has 65 grams of added sugar.

• Condiments like ketchup, BBQ sauce and salad dressings are often 25-50% sugar by weight which adds up fast with frequent use.

• Even "healthy" options like flavored yogurts, granola bars and protein bars can pack over 15 grams of sugar each without much nutritional value beyond calories.

Clearly, excess added sugars are unavoidable in the standard American diet without diligent label reading. But what damage does this sugar overload do inside our bodies? The mechanisms and health consequences are sobering.

Read more: Nutritional Needs Through the Ages: A Guide to Different Life Stages

The Biological Backlash of Too Much Sugar

When we eat or drink foods containing added sugars, they break down into simple carbohydrates like glucose that raise blood sugar levels. In a healthy response, our pancreas secretes the hormone insulin to transfer glucose from blood into cells for energy use.

However, frequent spikes from sugary meals and snacks cause our cells to become resistant to insulin over time - a condition known as insulin resistance. With cells ignoring insulin's signal to import glucose, blood sugar remains abnormally high. This prediabetes state drastically increases risks for conditions like:

• Type 2 Diabetes - Without enough insulin or cells' response, blood glucose cannot enter cells for fuel. Over 90% of diabetes cases are type 2, directly caused by diet and lifestyle factors including excess weight and physical inactivity.
• Heart Disease - High blood sugar paired with insulin resistance promotes hardening and narrowing of arteries due to chronic inflammation. This raises risks of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death.
• Fatty Liver Disease - Consumed fructose specifically overloads the liver which converts excess amounts into fat deposits - a precursor to life-threatening cirrhosis if liver damage accelerates.
• Certain Cancers - Emerging research links diets high in added sugars to greater risks of endometrial, breast, prostate, kidney and colorectal cancers likely due to chronic inflammation and insulin/insulin-like growth factors' role in cellular changes.

To make matters worse, liquid sugars like from soda and juice are absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream versus more slowly from solid foods. This subjects our systems to especially harsh short-term blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes that tax the body over the long haul. Sugary beverages are also weakly satisfying and fail to induce fullness like solid meals, fueling overconsumption.

Sugar's Role in Weight Gain

As most Dealnew readers know too well, excess body weight poses its own serious risks for worsening mortality, mobility, mental health and more. A primary factor responsible for the global obesity epidemic is consumption of too many empty calories from added sugars in the diet.

Compared to an equivalent amount of calories from protein or fat, consuming calories from sugars does little to satisfy hunger since they lack nutritional components to slow digestion. And while fructose is preferentially metabolized in the liver like alcohol, its surplus energy easily gets stored as dangerous visceral belly fat over time.

Even moderate excess sugar consumption of just 100 calories daily equates to nearly 10 extra pounds gained over 10 years without behavior changes. Liquid calories lack compensatory adjustments to further food intake whereas solid meals provide cues to consume less later on.

It comes as no surprise that higher sugar consumption strongly correlates with larger waistlines and obesity stats. One 20-ounce soda per day increases obesity risks by over 25% according to research. Studies replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water showed significant weight loss improvements in just months. Weight gain sabotages health in myriad ways including higher risks of heart attacks, cancer and more.

Read more: 15 Healthy Foods to Help Gain Weight: Effortless and Nutritious

Protect Yourself with Sugar Savvy Strategies

Now that you understand how sugar harms your body, here are actionable ways to cut back and protect your health long-term:

• Read nutrition labels diligently and watch for total sugars over 5 grams per serving as your cutoff.

• Swap sugar-laden items for whole foods like fresh fruit and steamed vegetables that provide nutrients without excess sugar.

• Drink only water, unsweetened tea or black coffee to avoid liquid sugars. Alcoholic drinks also contain hidden sugars.

• Home-cook more meals to control ingredients versus restaurant fare with added condiments high in sugars.

• Satisfy cravings naturally with berries, citrus, dark chocolate or a handful of nuts instead of processed snacks.

• Try intermittent fasting, keeping an eight-hour eating window, to promote insulin sensitivity overnight.

• Gradually decrease added sugars in baked goods and cereals by using spices, extracts or half the sugar recipe calls for.

• Be wary of "natural" labels or fruit images - ingredients list total sugars rather than marketing.

• Get moving more to promote weight loss and blunt glucose spikes from food through built-in insulin sensitivity.

In summary, developing an awareness of added sugars consumed in discretionary foods and beverages each day unlocks a world of health benefits when minimization strategies are implemented consistently. Small cuts deliver big returns for your well-being. As always, Dealnew readers are encouraged to contact us with any other questions!