Over 6 Teaspoons Of Sugar In A Day Linked With Poor Health Outcomes: Study

Sugar is often looked upon as an enemy when it comes to matters of health. By sugar, we usually mean the added ones that come with manufactured and processed food. While sugar is essential for the survival and functioning of cells but the body makes it from the food that we consume each day. We might not require to take it from outside sources. A review has shown that the everyday consumption of over 6 teaspoons of sugar is associated with poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular problems and certain kinds of cancers.

Increased consumption of sugar and sugar-rich beverages has been associated with increased body weight, obesity, increased heart disease risk, hypertension, stroke and cancers like breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and others. The list also includes depression, asthma and dental problems.

While many health organizations are already encouraging people to cut down their sugar intake, the researchers of the study recommend further reduction of sugar to less than 25 grams per day or about six teaspoons.

Effects of Sugar on the Body

Glucose is the primary fuel of cells that make our body. But we don’t need to take added sugars (sucrose, fructose) and others that come in manufactured food products as our body naturally makes sugar from the complex sugars like whole grains and other nutrients we might be taking in our diet. Added sugars usually include table sugar, sweeteners, honey, sugary beverages, fruit juices, and other forms of it used to refine the taste of a dish.

High fructose intake has been associated with reduced insulin insensitivity which can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic concerns like high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. When the liver breaks down sugar such as fructose, it ends in the production of triglycerides, a form of fat that can get accumulated over a period and can lead to plaque formation in the arteries, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. However, as per reports sugar alongside other calorie sources increases the risk of these conditions. When energy intake is more than the body’s expenditure, it can lead to fat build-up, insulin resistance and fatty liver.

Sugar is highly addictive

Sugar much like other abuse-prone substances has high addictive properties. It activates the reward system in the brain (limbic system) that reinforces more consumption of it for the brain to experience the same pleasurable feelings. Hence, getting rid of sugar from your diet might not be an easy task and one might experience withdrawal symptoms. Too much-added sugar has also been associated with brain changes, declined cognitive function and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. It is also known to exaggerate emotions such as fear and anxiety.