Why do we crave sugar?

Sugar is hard to avoid and very addicting.  Natural sugar is in foods like fruits and vegetables, grains and dairy.  

Sugar gives energy to your cells and body.  Natural sugar can decrease risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer but processed sugar is a different story.  Processed sugar was invented so foods last longer and don't spoil.  it is used in so many different foods and in places you wouldn't expect.  Soups, bread, meats, ketchup all have sugar added.   

Right now it is Halloween season and kids love candy!  Setting some boundries after trick or treating may set up healthy habits later on.  

In the United States the top sources of sugar are soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy and processed foods.  

Men take an average of 24 teaspoons of added sugar per day (384 calories per day)

Sugar has an impact on your heart

In JAMA Internal Medicine a 15 year study was conducted by Dr. Hu to see if there was a correlation of sugar and deaths by heart disease.  

It was found that people who got 17% - 20% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than people who consumed 8% or less of their food intake by sugar.  

How does sugar affect the heart?

Processed sugar is inflammatory to our body.  The liver is overload with sugar digestion.  It will metabolize sugar the same way it does alcohol (alcohol is sugar too).  It converts the sugar into fat.  This is how we get fatty liver.  The kidneys have to process it and other digestive organs work overtime with sugar intake.  Diabetes always correlates with heart disease so the connection is pretty severe.  

Too much processed sugar can raise blood pressure, cause joint pain and increase inflammation in the entire body. 

Sugar will lead to weight gain:

This happens because the sugar molecule tricks your body into turning off what is called the "appetite control system". This happens because the liquid (once it is ingested it becomes liquid), calories do not register as the calories needed by this system like solid foods do.  Remember our body is 300,000 years old and has adapted but still has old systems in place left for survival.   

How much added or processed sugar is okay to eat?

Processed sugar is not really a required nutrient for the body.  Since the heart can be at risk with too much sugar intake, the American Heart Association has recommended that women should consume no more than 100 calories of sugar per day with men being able to eat 150 calories per day. This is the equivalent of 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar per day. 

This equals one 12 oz can of soda per day.  Most people have their maximum sugar eaten with breakfast alone. The rest of the day they are adding dangerous levels of sugar to their system.  

What foods have added processed sugar?

When shopping at the grocery store, reading labels can be difficult.  When reading labels just know that the items listed first are normally the highest amounts of ingredients to the least amount in each item.  They are most likely listed in grams.

Here are some foods with added sugar:

1. Brown sugar
2. Corn sweetener
3. Corn syrup
4. Fruit juice concentrates
5. High-fructose corn syrup
6. Honey
7. Invert sugar
8. Malt sugar
9. Molasses
10. Syrup
11. Ketchup
12. Anything ending in "ose" (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)

Almost half of sugar added comes from beverages including coffee and tea!

In a study in 2017 by Public Health discovered that about two-thirds of coffee and tea drinkers put sugar in their drink.  More than 60% of the calories come from sugar.  

When trying to cut back on sugar, make sure you are choosing healthy alternatives.  If you are having a sugar craving (because it is just like a drug and you will have cravings), choose natural foods like fruit, veggies or use an alternative sweetener like stevia.  Do not take Asparatame (Splenda), that is whole different blog! In many cases sugar craving may mean you are dehydrated so make sure to drink water.  

Here are the top foods that have added sugar:

• Soda, energy drinks - 42.2%
• Grain based desserts - 11.9%
• Fruit drinks - 8.5%
• Dairy desserts - 5/5%
• Candy - 5.0%
• Sugars/honey - 4.1%
• Tea - 3.8%
• Yeast breads -2.3%
• Syrups/toppings - 1/4%
  
  Our bodies need certain nutrients in order for our nerves to synapse, foods to be processed and absorbed, and communications between systems to work properly.  Make sure you give your machine what it needs to run properly.  
  
  Dr. Amie Gregory, DC, CCEP, ANF is a San Francisco, CA and San Carlos, CA chiropractor that understands full body health.  She works with athletes, expectant moms, office workers and everyone else in between.  Contact our San Francisco, CA chiropractic office or San Carlos, CA chiropractic office today!
  
  Source: 
  CDC, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–06.