Why Refined Sugar Is Dangerous

In my previous post on how to read food labels, I listed some ingredients to avoid which were bad for your health. Foremost on the list is white or refined sugar, and I’d like to explain why.

Do You Even Know What Refined Sugar Really Is?

White sugar is crystallized sucrose made from beet or cane juice. Sounds safe right? Did you know that during the refinement process, all vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and water are stripped away? What is left is this chemical product that has no nutritional value, and is a whopping 774 calories per cup. Amazingly, the typical American still consumes two to three pounds of white sugar every week.

Refined Sugar Stunts Growth, Immune System

Since refined sugar has no vitamins and minerals, your body has to take vitamins and minerals from the other food you eat in order to metabolize it. During this process, your pancreas tries to break it down by secreting very high amounts of insulin, which remains in the bloodstream long after the sugar is gone. If you have insulin in your blood, it stops the release of growth hormone in your pituitary gland. Unfortunately, growth hormone is also partly responsible for regulating the immune system, so the total side effects of white sugar intake include immune deficiency and stunted growth.

Sugar also causes lethargy; something we all know about from crashing 4 minutes after a sugar buzz. It also makes blood more acidic. In both cases, it increases your vulnerability to toxins, bacteria and viruses.

Refined Sugar Leads to Binge Eating

When you consume white sugar, it means your body has to keep siphoning away precious vitamins and minerals in order to break it down. These vitamins and minerals are what keep you running in tip-top shape. Since your body desperately needs these nutrients, it sends signals to your stomach telling you it’s hungry. You then embark on an eating binge, often eating more sugar, resulting in a downward spiral that only serves to make you feel bloated and sick.

Refined Sugar is An Addiction

I know it can be really hard to kick the sugar habit. Attempting it can even cause temporary headaches, depression and fatigue. This is symptomatic of addiction and we need to make an effort to make sure our children don't get hooked as well.

Since sugar is present in almost everything that we eat, it is essential to control daily intake.  The recommended 40 grams refers to refined/processed sugars only. There seems to be no limit on natural sugars however, so if it’s natural sugar from fruit, sugar cane or honey, go ahead and indulge within moderation.

I Don’t Need Sugar…

…because my readers are already naturally sweet. Was this article helpful? Share your sweet nothings on health and nutrition below.