The innocuous white substance that is so commonplace in every dinner table and abundantly present in virtually every meal has a far more devastating effect to the health than most people realise. Excessive consumption of sugar is one of the leading causes of a number of serious health conditions as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cancers. Here are a few helpful facts on sugar and its consumption.
Sugar Fact #1 Sugar can increase risks of tumor-growth.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that diet with high sucrose and fructose content (from table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) increases cancer risk in the breasts and lungs. According to the study, such diet encourages tumor growth.
Sugar Fact #2 Moderation will always be essential.
Dr. Wayne Osborne makes a good point of raising the fact that the recommended daily sugar intake is a recommendation across the entire day. Therefore, a whole day's intake should be measured to fit within this recommended allowance.
"The recommended daily intake of total sugars (sugars from all food) for adults is 90g, as typically noted on food packaging. But this doesn't mean you can safely eat three 51g Mars Bars (containing a total of 91.5g of sugar) in one day and still be within negligible distance of the threshold... What's more, the sugar you eat needs to be spread out as evenly as you can throughout the day."
Sugar Fact #3 Fruits are so much more than just sugar.
A number of people reduce, or avoid altogether, intake of fruits for their sugar content. However, by skipping fruits - of which health experts recommend an intake of three-a-day, all other necessary nutrients and benefits that come from these food sources are missed altogether.
Nutritionist Laura Thomas clarifies: "Among other things, I hold bloggers and celebrity wellness personalities (with questionable nutrition qualifications) accountable for spouting a lot of crap that propagates the notion that certain fruits are "too high in sugar" and should be cut out of the diet. You see, fruit is much more than the sum of its parts. There are the obvious things - the fruit sugars, the fibre, vitamins, and minerals. But there are also thousands and thousands of compounds unique to plants that scientists are only beginning to get their heads around.
Sugar Fact #4 Illnesses and diseases rooted in sugar-consumption costs governments billions in healthcare funds.
Obesity, diabetes and similar sicknesses cost billions to treat and cure. Much of these sicknesses owe their growth to the continuously growing demand and consumption of sugared and sugary food and beverages.
As an example, Public Health England's national director for health and wellbeing - Professor Kevin Fenton - says: "Our health system has to take the strain of the obesity epidemic, and we already spend billions of pounds dealing with illnesses that could have been prevented.
"Type 2 diabetes currently costs the NHS £8.8billion a year - that's almost 9% of its budget. We simply can't allow this to get much worse as it's not affordable - it will hit every area of the health services our families rely on.
"This isn't just my view; it's the view of the NHS England Chief Executive who is concerned that obesity will bankrupt his organisation."
Sugar Fact #5 Sugar can harm everyone, even healthy individuals.
No individual is immune to the harm and damage that sugar can cause. Even individuals who are generally healthy and have physically active routines are vulnerable.
Food and nutrition writer Sarah Leighton explains: "Sugar is harming everyone, even those who are considered healthy and active."
"At a metabolic level, sugar is causing a whole host of damage. In a normal, healthy individual, the metabolism can cope with occasional consumption of refined sugar. However, if too much sugar is consumed regularly, the body begins to become resistant to the effect of insulin, this is known as insulin resistance.
"This means that the muscle, liver, and fat tissues find it increasingly difficult to take up the sugar. Consequently, the blood sugar level becomes higher than the normal range, and this is where big problems begin, as type 2 diabetes develops. The number of people in the UK with some form of insulin resistance is huge."
Sugar Fact #5 Sugar addiction is just as serious as addiction to cigarettes and psychotropic drugs and substances.
Addiction to this food ingredient is just as serious and as challenging to health and well-being as smoking and dependence to psychotropic drugs. Unless addressed and managed, this addiction can have serious repercussions and consequences.
Alex Reid says: "Sugar plays a pivotal role in the development of many of the devastating illnesses we fear most, namely heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's to name a few.
"But in everyday terms reducing sugar in our diets, [means] our cholesterol and blood pressure improves in a matter of days.
"One day we will realise the dangers of sugar in society much like smoking, and cocaine."
