No More Sugar Belly!
First, there was the beer belly. Now they have the term sugar belly.
Are researchers and the media just being dramatic? Is this even a real thing?
The University of California San Francisco has a team of experts who say this IS a real concern and say they have the science to back it up. (1)
Sugars come in the form of glucose and fructose.
The researchers from UCSF claim the sweet flavor of fructose in its natural state in fruits and vegetables is not a concern.
The issue is when manufacturers extract and concentrate the fructose, eliminating the fiber and nutrients from it.
We’ve all heard of high fructose corn syrup and it shows up in most sugary treats and drinks. This is a prime example of the manufactured fructose.
Summary: In the simplest terms, they claim it is most harmful when you consume these ingredients on an empty stomach, the food or beverages hit the liver fast for digestion and are converted to fat. This leads to fat around the midsection, or belly. Hence the sugar belly.
Are you starting to regret your breakfast and lunch choices today?
You can relax, there are proven solutions and tasty alternatives to these sugars.
Start with educating yourself on what harmful ingredients to look for in your foods and begin making some changes to your diet and eliminating sugars.
Removing the processed sugars from your diet has a MULTITUDE of benefits, including reducing or avoiding that “sugar belly”.
Reading labels and understanding the ingredients in your food will help you be successful at cutting sugar from your diet.
Sugar is a generic term for soluble carbohydrates whose molecule names often end in –ose.
Added sugars appear in ingredient lists with names such as galactose, fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, and lactose (2)
Each has different sources, and a lot of the added sugar in our foods are a combination of two or more of those mentioned above.
Added sugars are known for contributing to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Type 2 diabetes has also increased by a threefold over the past three decades along with the increased production and consumption of sugary products (3)
According to a study done by the American Heart Association, most US adults consume about 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day, which equals about 74 pounds of sugar per year (4)
Summary: Sugar is simply another term for a soluble carbohydrate. Removing sugar from your diet has many health benefits. Keep an eye on your ingredient lists for hidden sugars.
If you wish to keep your sugar intake at a minimum, here are some of the benefits associated with reducing sugar intake:
Foods high in sugar, are known to create a sudden spike in levels of blood sugar and are often related to weight gain.
These foods cause your body to feel hungry sooner, making you eat more than you would have.
Furthermore, studies have shown individuals lost weight faster by removing added sugars from their diet.
If you wish to lose weight, start by cutting out excess sugar from your diet. Goodbye sugar belly!
2. Lower Cholesterol Levels
Lower sugar intake is associated with decreased LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol.
Studies have shown that those who consume more sugar have higher levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which can clog the arteries and eventually lead to heart disease.
3. Lower Blood Pressure Levels
Sugar intake has a direct impact on levels of blood pressure because it increases the workload of your heart and arteries which can cause long-term damage.
Damage to the heart and distribution of blood throughout your body system can eventually cause the destruction of other organs as well.
4. Reduce Inflammation
Spikes or sudden upticks in blood sugar levels are known to cause internal stress through inflammation in the body.
If you have ongoing inflammation, your body would not be able to focus on healing the new causes of inflammation from the sugar spikes.
For example, a person diabetes should do their best to prevent cuts and wounds because it is harder for them to heal compared to a non-diabetic.
5. Improved Cognition
Studies have shown that individuals who consume higher levels of sugar resulted in the impairment of cognitive function, a reduction of proteins vital in the retention of memory, and the responsiveness of an individual to stimuli.
In fact, in research performed in mice, those who had a high sugar intake has resulted in reduced synaptic function.
6. More Energy
Added sugars have been found to cause a reduced activity level in the cells responsible for providing energy to our bodies, known as orexin cells.
Thus, preventing fast metabolism from taking place and metabolism is what you need to get energy.
Having little to no intake of added sugar also prevents you from crashing and feeling weak, which is what usually takes place when all the added sugar has already been used up and digested.
7. Smoother, Clearer Skin
Studies have shown that frequent intake of high sugar foods could contribute to the formation of acne, and thus do long-term damage to your skin making it look dull.
Sugar also has a property which makes the cells dehydrated, which causes circles beneath the eyes, as well as puffiness.
8. Reduces Cavity Formation
In layman’s terms, sugar serves as the “food” of bacteria in your mouth which causes the formation of cavities.
Consuming sugar leads to the formation of proteins on the teeth which creates an environment that is conducive to the growth of bacteria.
Fructose, on the other hand, wears off the enamel in teeth, making it more brittle.
If you want to keep that bright smile, and healthy teeth, make it a point to cut down on sugar.
9. Less Sugar, Less Money Spent
Apart from cutting back on costs associated with the purchase of foods with added sugar, you are also able to save money on cutting back sugar do you become a healthier person.
Being healthy entails fewer trips to the doctor and the purchase of medicines for illnesses which are caused by high intake of sugar.
Ready To Get Started Decreasing Your Sugar Intake?
Sugar is known to be as addictive as cocaine (5) Along with making ourselves sick, added sugars have no nutritional value.
If you are struggling to break this addiction and achieve higher-level health results contact Custom Health Centers today and meet 1-on-1 with a health coach to design a plan customized to you.
You don’t have to begin a health journey alone.
Get the personal support you need to succeed and meet all your goals. Call the office today at 844-789-8446 or schedule a free consultation!
>> Next Blog: The Ketogenic Diet: A Newcomer’s Manual to Keto <<
Medically reviewed and written by:
Dr. Jason Olafsson D.C.
Founder & CEO
Doctor of Chiropractic
Life University
References
- https://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-toxic-truth/#.WVQOmWjytPY
- https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Added-Sugars_UCM_305858_Article.jsp#.WVK1BMaZPR0
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
- https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp#.WVK1hMaZPR2
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719144
