JCSC Wellness Blog

Added Sugar Supplies a Large Amount of Fructose

• The reason added sugar is bad for you, is that it supplies a very large amount of fructose. Sugar are half glucose, half fructose. Glucose is essential and can be metabolized by pretty much every cell in the body. If we don’t get it from the diet, our bodies make it from proteins and fat. Fructose, however is not essential to our functioning in any way. When large amounts of fructose enter the liver and it is already full of glycogen, most of the fructose gets turned into fat. This does NOT apply to fruit, which are a real food with vitamins, minerals, fiber, lots of water and are very difficult to overeat on.

Sugar Doesn’t Contain Any Vitamins or Minerals (Empty Calories)

• Most high-sugar foods like pastries, sodas and candy bars contain very little essential nutrients. People who eat them instead of other more nutritious foods will probably become deficient in many important nutrients. 

Sugar Causes Deposition of Fat in The Liver

• When we eat fructose, it goes to the liver. If liver glycogen is low, such as after a run, the fructose will be used to replenish it. However, most people aren’t  consuming fructose after a long workout and their livers are already full of glycogen. When this happens, the liver turns the fructose into fat. Some of the fat gets shipped out, but part of it remains in the liver. The fat can build up over time and ultimately lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Sugar Harms Your Cholesterol and Triglycerides

• Consuming a large part of calories as fructose can lead to serious adverse effects on blood markers in as little as 10 weeks.

Sugar is Addictive

• When we eat sugar, dopamine is released in the brain, giving us a feeling of pleasure. Studies in rats demonstrate that they can in fact become physically addicted to sugar. This is harder to prove in humans, but many people consume sugar and other junk foods in a pattern that is typical for addictive, abusive compounds.

Sources:

10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar is Bad For You

The 25 Key Reasons You Want To Dramatically Reduce or Avoid Sugar in Your Diet