Why is it important to curtail your sugar intake?
Sugar intake is a widely discussed topic throughout the world. The average American consumes at least 60 plus pounds of sugar year-round and compare this to 8-10 pounds in the late 1700s—these are staggering numbers! Let us explore further on this as follows:
Daily intake of sugars:
The recommended intake is less than 6 teaspoons per day for a woman and less than 9 teaspoons per day for a man. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup are commercial forms of sugar that are easily absorbed by our bodies and are broken down into monosaccharides like glucose and fructose. Sugar can also be derived from our foods (bread, baked goods, juices, fruits, starchy vegetables, peas, sweets, drinks, etc.).
Basic functions of sugars:
Fructose, one of the breakdown products of sugar, participates in the production of lactate, glycogen, triglycerides, and glucose. Glucose stimulates insulin secretion in our bodies and also facilitates the secretion of neurotransmitters that can also stimulate the reward pathways in our brain that can cause a dependence or addiction to more and more sugar. Sugar intake stimulates dopamine release. As we already know, sugar is an effective energy source to all our cells as both ATP and glycogen but can wreak havoc when consumed in large amounts.
Deleterious effects of sugars:
Chronic intake of large quantities of sugar has been associated with chronic illnesses like Diabetes, Heart disease, End organ damage (kidneys, eyes, nervous system, blood vessels, and endocrine system). High sugar intake is directly associated with some diseases like Alzheimer’s, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Steatohepatitis, Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolic syndrome, and also plays a role in cancer causation and progression.
Sugar’s role in Cancer:
It's not a secret that sugars like fructose and glucose are the major energy source of cells. Cancer cells take in and consume more sugar than regular cells. People consuming foods with a high glycemic index have a higher cancer risk if this behavior is sustained in the long term. Research shows that higher blood glucose levels can be associated with a higher risk of Breast, Pancreatic, Urinary tract, Endometrial, and Skin cancers. High blood sugar levels can affect the RNA, DNA, and protein, thus creating a dysregulation or deviance from normal metabolism. Excess blood sugar levels can create ROS (oxidant damage) and contribute to mutation, breaks, and damage of DNA. High blood sugar levels can also have a direct effect on the rate of progression of various cancers.
The purpose of this discussion is to stress the importance of curtailing sugar intake in our everyday diet. I pray that this information will equip you to make better choices with respect to your diet. I truly believe that knowledge empowers us to move forward with confidence. Having said that, I hope you will choose wisely and live long and strong!
