What's Wrong With Sugar?

Everything's wrong with sugar, except for the fact that it tastes good.  The USDA recommends 40-50 mg of sugar per day, which is several tablespoons.  The fact is, most Americans consume far more sugar than is recommend, which can lead to a multitude of problems.  Here are some of the problems that may develop from an excess of sugar.

First, not all calories are created equal.  Calories from sugar are not as fulfilling as calories from protein, which translates into an increased calorie intake.  Glucose calories and fructose calories are also different.  Fructose, which is added to many food products, is very bad for us.  Fructose is added to soda and juice, for example.  That adds no nutritional value, just a lot of calories.

Sugar causes dopamine to be released in the brain, making it highly addictive.  Sugar is the leading contributor to obesity.

Sugar has no essential nutrients.  It is high in fructose, which can overload the liver.  This can lead to non alcoholic liver disease.  Sugar can also cause insulin resistance, which is a stepping stone to diabetes.  If you eat too much sugar, the body has a difficult time processing it, and it can create a fatty liver.

Finally, new studies show that sugar, not saturated fat, may be the culprit that creates high cholesterol.  This was news to me.  Does that mean that I can go back to eating bacon and other meat products containing saturated fat?  I hope so.  I do know that it means I should continue to try to reduce my sugar intake.  There is nothing good about sugar, except when you have a diabetic with low sugar and you want to increase their sugar level fast.  Other than that, I'm trying my best to reduce sugar, at least fructose.

I realized after I wrote this that I did not mention that natural sugar, the naturally occurring sugar found in fruits and vegetables, if fine.  It is easy to metabolize does not lead to huge spikes in blood sugar, as fructose does.  It's processed sugar that we need to stay away from