146 Reasons Why Sugar Ruins Your Health… Part 3!

Over the last week or so, we’ve been talking about white sugar and the detrimental effects it has on your health. So far, we’ve listed 60 reasons why sugar should get kicked to the curb (did you miss these? Check them out here and here). Since then, I’ve had some people comment that sugar is a carbohydrate, and of course, we need some carbohydrates in our diet. So, by that logic, sugar should be okay in moderation… right? Let’s take a closer look at what sugar is, what it does to your body, and why it’s not a necessary carbohydrate to include in your diet.  

In her book Discover the Power of Food, Janet Jacks delves deeply into the sugar conundrum. When asked, “we need a little sugar…don’t we?”, here is how she responds. “Of course, we need some carbohydrates, and these are plentifully supplied by our vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, grains, and legumes. And as you know, even these can easily give you more than you need. What you don’t need is sugar itself: not even a small amount of sugar is required, and definitely not the massive amounts we are currently consuming.  

When simple sugars flood the bloodstream with too much glucose, there is often a temporary feeling of euphoria. The pancreas produces high levels of insulin which, because you cannot use such excessive glucose, clears it from the bloodstream and stores it away as fat. We then feel irritable, moody, tired, and unfocused. Cravings for more sugar follow.  

Sugar creates acidity in the body. It suppresses the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to defend itself. It promotes accelerated aging, which includes the look of your skin and the increase in wrinkles. It increases your likelihood of degenerative diseases such as diabetes and dementia, and inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and cancer.”  

Yikes. Don’t like the sounds of all that? Neither do we. That’s why at Goodness Me!, we commit to a 100% refined-sugar-free environment, period. So, why exactly is sugar so bad, and what can we replace it with? Well, those questions will be answered on my next blog… but for now, 30 more reasons for you to say goodbye to refined white sugar for good.  

61. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection.
62. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
63. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
64. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
65. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. 66. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida.
67. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
68. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
69. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
70. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
71. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
72. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
73. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
74. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
75. Sugar can cause cataracts.
76. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson’s disease.
77. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
78. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
79. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
80. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
81. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
82. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
83. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets.
84. High sugar diets can lead to biliary tract cancer.
85. High sugar consumption can lead to a substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
86. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
87. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
88. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
89. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
90. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.