Sugar is a
form of carbohydrate that makes many of the foods and drinks we consume taste,
well, sweet. Various forms of sugar exist, and in some foods sugars occur
naturally. Even various fruits and vegetables contain a sugar! However, there
are some products that contain added
sugars. The process of adding sugars to foods is done during manufacturing, and
serves to enhance the taste of the product. There are many products that
contain added sugars, but a few noteworthy products containing it are soda,
fruit drinks, and chocolate.
The
potential issues arising from excessive added sugar consumption includes, but
is not limited to:
·
High blood pressure – even more so than sodium
some studies have found.
·
Cardiovascular (heart) disease – as the 2014
study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found.
·
Obesity
– consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages tends to increase weight gain in
children and adults.
Along the
same lines of obesity risk, there is also a growing body of research supporting
the notion that sugar-sweetened beverages many increase visceral fat. Visceral
fat surrounds the organs within the body, but too much can influence hormonal
function and increase the risk for diseases such as type II diabetes, heart
disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers. Men with a waist circumference
of greater than 35 cm, and women with a waist circumference of greater than 40
cm are at an increased risk for having excessive visceral fat, according to
Johns Hopkins Medicine.
It would be
very difficult to remove sugars from your diet being that fruits, vegetables,
dairy products and nuts all have sugars within them. It is important to
distinguish between added sugars and
just sugars. Sugar is actually your body’s preferred energy source, but if
sugars, primarily added sugars, are
consumed in vast excess, health concerns may arise.
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