We’ve all heard it – sugar is doing more damage to your health than fats or carbohydrates and cutting the sweet stuff has helped an impressive amount of people to lose weight, gain energy and feel more alive and alert.
Worryingly, reports from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) reveal that Australians’ consumption of sugar (50kg per capita per year) exceeds that of the USA and European countries. Given this, Australia’s leading obesity and diabetes statistics are unsurprising to say the lease.
With so much information circling about the dangers of sugar, it can become a little overwhelming. We consulted leading naturopath Victoria O’Sullivan to find out what exactly sugar is doing to our bodies.
1. Causes weight gain & increases risk of diabetes – Sugar consumption stimulates the release of the fat-storing hormone insulin.
2. Cardiovascular disease – Excess sugar consumption is also likely to lower our HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and increase LDL cholesterol (the bad type), creating the ideal environment for plaque to build up on arterial walls.
Clogged arteries not only increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
3. Sugar causes premature ageing – Constantly raising our blood sugar through the use of sugary foods and drinks can cause a reaction in the body that triggers the production of molecules called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE).
It is becoming more commonly understood in the naturopathic industry that elevated levels of AGEs in the body can lead to accelerated aging of your skin as well as vital organs.
4. Can cause a yeast overgrowth – A diet high in sugar and carbohydrates can expose us to an unhealthy yeast overgrowth in our bowels, known as Candida Albicans. A yeast overgrowth can cause bloating, unexplained fatigue and cravings for sugar or carbohydrates. In many cases, a yeast overgrowth causes the liver to work harder to remove its toxic by-products, straining the organ excessively.
5. Weakened immune function – A sugary intake is likely to suppress our white blood cells (which fight bacteria and viruses), potentially weakening our protection against viruses. “Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, but did you know that sugar can disrupt the body’s absorption of this important nutrient?” Victoria says.
If you want to start cutting the sweet stuff from your diet, Victoria suggests you shop the perimeter of the supermarket, avoiding the packaged products of the middle. It can be difficult to kick the habit at first, sugar is a very addictive substance and you may be more addicted to it than you realise.
Victoria says, “If you fall off the wagon, don’t despair. Guide your food choices with the 90/10 rule, where 90 per cent of the diet is focused on high quality nutritionally dense good and 10 per cent is reserved for treats. This is important, because deprivation and fanatical food rules often lead to binge eating the very foods we are trying to avoid.”
