ADVERTISING: Advertorial — The dangers of sugar

It is no secret that sugar is bad for your health, but do you know why? The average adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar each day compared to the 5-9 teaspoons per day the experts agree should be the daily limit. Just for perspective, one 12 ounce can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar which is about 42 grams. Let’s look at 6 of the most detrimental effects excess sugar is having in your body.

1) Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. According the American Dietetic and Diabetic Association, increased sugar consumption is the leading cause of degenerative disease.

2) Sugar causes glucose levels to spike and plummet. Unstable blood sugar can leave you experiencing mood swings, fatigue, and headaches. It also contributes to cravings, which begins the cycle of false hunger. Those who avoid sugar report having fewer cravings while feeling more emotionally balanced and energized.

3) It causes changes to your immune system. Excess sugar in the blood, can react with immune proteins to cause many changes in the immune system, including inflammatory changes and decreased ability to fight bacteria and viruses. Suppression of the immune system starts as soon as 30 minutes after the consumption of sugar and can last up to five hours.

4) Sugar accelerates aging. While you probably know that sugars can affect your body composition, they can also mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging. After sugar hits your bloodstream, it attaches to proteins. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.

5) Sugar damages oral health. Tooth decay and gum disease result from the sugar fueling bacteria in the mouth. Increasing evidence shows that the inflammation caused by these chronic infections play a role in the development of heart disease.

6) Sugar consumption contributes to nutritional deficiencies. According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients — especially vitamins A, C, B-12 and calcium. Chromium and zinc deficiencies are also prevalent in those who consume excess sugar. The trade-off is especially dangerous for children and teens, who generally consume the most sugar and need the most nutrients.

Now that you understand the negative effects of sugar on your body and mind, it’s time to be more careful when choosing foods. You may not realize how often sugar is added to foods you eat if you are not reading the labels. (There are about 4.2 grams per teaspoon of sugar.) Even foods that you do not consider sweet, such as tomato sauce, crackers, salad dressings, and sauces, are usually packed with sugar. When it comes to convenience and packaged foods, let the ingredients label be your guide.

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For more information, contact Dr. Wendy Cunningham at Hayden Health and Wellness, 208-635-5658, info@haydenhealth.com. We offer a 10-Day Sugar Detox to help you break the sugar habit to get control over your cravings — and your health. Our next group detox starts on Jan. 24.