For snacks and meals, many individuals rely on quick and processed foods. Added sugar can be found in a wide range of items from marinara sauce to peanut butter. Due to the large amount of added sugar, it accounts for excessive daily caloric consumption. In America, added sugars accounts for up to 14 percent in children and up to 17 percent of total calorie intake in adults.
Sugar consumption, according to researchers, is the main reason of being fatty and also causes many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Expert dieticians recommend reducing your daily calories from added sugar up to 10 percent or less.
Obesity rates are on the rise all across the world, and sugar-sweetened beverages are regarded as the main causes among others. Fructose which is a form of simple sugar is abundant in sweetened beverages such as sodas, sweet teas, and juices.
Fructose is also present in excessive amounts in starchy foods. It increases your hunger and longing for food more than glucose. Large amounts of fructose consumption can also cause leptin resistance which is a hormone that controls hunger and tells your body to quit excessive eating.
These sugary beverages do not satisfy hunger, thus making it easier to consume excessive liquid calories rapidly. This can result in weight gain. People who use sugary beverages are found to be fattier than those who do not.
Drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages has also been related to an increase in visceral fat, a type of deep abdominal fat linked to heart disease and diabetes.
Excess sugar consumption may raise the risk of causing several types of cancers. Initially, a diet high in beverages and sugar can lead to more weight, which later on increases the cancer risk significantly.
Also, high-sugar diets cause inflammation of the body and can also cause insulin resistance, both of which cause high risk of cancer. Research of almost more than 4 lac adults found that consuming additional sugar was connected to more risk of pleural, esophageal, and small intestine cancer.
Although a few amounts of sugar are completely healthy from time to time, you should try to limit your sugar intake whenever it’s possible. However, eating more whole and unprocessed foods can help rid of excess sugar in your diet automatically.
You can also use vinegar and olive oil instead of sweet salad dressings like honey mustard to cut down on additional sugars. Choose sugar-free marinades, ketchup, nut butters, and marinara sauce. Coffee can be consumed sweetened or black with Stevia, a zero-calorie natural sweetener. Alcoholic beverages sweetened with juice, soda, sugar, honey, or agave should be avoided. Moreover, look for granolas, cereals, and granola bars that contain less than 4 grams of sugar per serving.
So, excessive consumption of sweetened foods and beverages can increase the chance of developing illnesses and other harmful conditions. You can avoid negative consequences by eating a nutritious diet rich in whole foods and limiting your sugar intake. You can try some of the minor changes described above to cut added sugar from your diet.
