08/12/2018
Sugar is sweet,
Too much sugar may sour your health. Whole foods like fruits, veggies, dairy, and grains have natural sugars. Your body digests those carbs slowly so your cells get a steady supply of energy. Added hidden sugars, on the other hand, come in packaged foods and drinks. Your body does not need any added sugars.
Sugary drinks in particular can boost your odds for type 2 diabetes. That can happen because when sugar stays in your blood, your body may react by making less of the hormone insulin, which converts the food you eat into energy. Or the insulin doesn't work as well. If you're overweight, dropping even 10-15 pounds can help you manage your blood sugar.
Usually, salt gets the blame for hypertension. But some researchers say another white crystal -- sugar -- may be a more worrisome culprit.
One way they believe sugar raises blood pressure is by making your insulin levels spike too high. That can make your blood vessels less flexible and cause your kidneys to hold onto water and sodium.
Sugary diets are bad for your heart, regardless of how much you weigh. They can:
Raise your so-called "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lower the "good" (HDL) kind.
Hike blood fats called triglycerides and hinder the work of an enzyme that breaks them down.
Most packaged foods, snacks, and drinks are sweetened with fructose, a simple sugar from fruits or veggies like corn. Your liver turns it into fat. If you regularly pump fructose into your body, tiny drops of fat build up in your liver. This is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Early diet changes can reverse it. But over time, swelling and scarring can damage your liver.
Too much sugar during the day can mess with your blood glucose levels and cause energy spikes and crashes. You may struggle to stay awake at work or doze off in class at school.
In the evenings, a bowl of ice cream or cookies can pump you with sugar that can wake you up at night. It also can cut short the time you're in deep sleep. So you may not wake up feeling refreshed.
It's a common perception that sugar worsens the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But the link is unproven. More studies knock down the theory that sugar causes or worsens ADHD than support it. We don't know exactly what leads to ADHD, but your genes probably play a large role.
Take snacks with you wherever you go, whether you're hiking or sightseeing never assume food will be available. Keep your blood sugar in check by always being mindful of what you eat and drink when traveling.
Be careful of unfamiliar food that may make your diabetes difficult to control or may upset your stomach. Ask for ingredients of unfamiliar foods, when ever it is possible.
