Not many of us are really aware of how much sugar we ingest daily. Some of us know we are sugar addicts. Some of us can do without. If you are one of the many that use “fake” sugar, here are some facts that will most likely surprise you. The bottom line is this, our sugar intake is a major health problem. Real sugar, or substitutes, the studies are endless, and most of them point to long term health issues.
First I will give you a run down on some surprising things that are loaded with sugar.
One cup of skim milk……..11 grams sugar
1/2 cup diced peaches in light syrup…..14-20 grams sugar
1/2 cup marinara sauce………….6-11 grams sugar
6 oz container fruit flavored yogurt 11-35 grams sugar
8 ounces lemonade……24-27 grams sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup 6-15 grams sugar
1 cup Florida’s Natural orange juice 22 grams sugar
and the list goes on…
The scary thing is these are not even the things loaded with high fructose corn syrup, or regular “white” sugar like soda’s, candy bars,donuts, and pastries.
High sugar consumption has shown in study after study to set us up for pre-diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, and wrinkles. Yes, wrinkles. Sugar damages collagen, and modifies the protein bonds in skin, causing glycation…..a process that speeds up the aging process in cells. Inside, and out.
Teresa Fung, ScD, associate professor of nutrition at Simmons College in Boston did a study with 88,000 participants, over a decade. It showed that drinking even two 12 oz cans of regular soda, with a fatty meal, can boost your risk of heart attack up to 35% more than non soda drinkers. Heart disease forms over a long period of time, however, sugary beverages increases this risk after just a few years.
Don’t think you are off the hook if you drink diet soda, or use sugar substitutes. We now are seeing research that shows that the brain is confused by artificial sweeteners. It makes the brain lose the ability to gauge incoming calories, and may actually make people gain, not lose weight. Not what you had in mind right!
Bottom line on the fakes. Out of Stevia, Splenda (sucralose), Aspartame, Saccharin, and Acesulfame K…the one that has shown in over 100 studies to be the safest, is Sucralose. It also states that it is 600 times sweeter than Sugar. Many tests are being conducted daily, and they are hard to get regulated by the FDA since guess what…..sugar makes money!
I urge you to be a label reader. Whether it be fake, real, white, alcohol, or natural. Sugar intake is something you should limit, or omit as much as possible. It has no nutritious property. It is a simple carbohydrate. If it is not a protein, a fat, or a complex carb, you can live without it. It will do nothing to your strength, your long term energy levels, your body composition, or your long term health but sabotage it!
Eat, drink, and live for the health of your body and it’s systems today, so tomorrow is even better!