Okay, here you have it. I decided to make an Infographic with six reasons to avoid sugar. Trust me, there are MANY more reasons. I chose six however, because to me, these six seemed like the most important ones.
I’m including in this blog post, all the research done in regards to the infographic. I hope you find it useful.
So here are the six reasons:
1- Sugar makes us fat
Surprise, surprise! We’ve always thought that it was fat that made us fat. It actually isn’t! It’s sugar. Guess what? You know all those “low-fat” and “non-fat” products? The food manufacturers have added sugar to those foods to make them taste better. It’s NO surprise that we have such a huge obesity epidemic in this country. Click here for the research.
2- Sugar keeps us hungry
Yep! And I wonder if the food industry knew about this already? Fast food is designed to keep us hungry, that’s why we eat MORE, and more of it. Super-size anyone? And this is not me making it up, there is some real good research on the PubMed.gov website, click here to read it. We often believe that junk food is cheaper, but it TRULY isn’t! We spend more because we crave more. Sugar doesn’t satisfy us and it leaves us feeling hungry. Did you know that Americans spend $110 BILLION a year in fast food?
3- Sugar has ZERO nutrition!
Ah yes… if only sugar would actually have vitamins but NOPE. It has none! According to this nutrition publication from Harvard, there is NO nutritional need for sugar in our diet. According to the CDC, when eating sugar, we tend to eat less micronutrients. So not only does it have NO nutrition, but on top of everything, we end up eating less of the things that actually are nutritious!.
4- Sugar is more addictive than cocaine
According to a study from James Cooke University which was published in August of 2007, addiction to sugar is stronger than addiction to cocaine. I’ve heard of people having “sugar withdrawals”. Although I’m unsure as to what that looks like. However, I do know that when I used to eat processed things, I always wanted more. And it seemed as if I was never satisfied.
5- Sugar makes us sick
According to studies, sugar actually suppresses the immune system. Our body is less able to fight bacteria, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Sears explains it a bit better on his website: “An overdose of sugar. Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of two- and-a-half 12-ounce cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40 percent. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. In contrast, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates, or starches, has no effect on the immune system.”
6- Sugar feeds cancer cells
There is a TON of research out there that links fast food to breast cancer. A lot of it has been blamed to fatty foods. There now is an additional study that says that women with high blood sugar levels are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. This study just confirms a previous conclusion from other researchers regarding the fact that sugar is not only present in the protein of cancerous cells, but they also aid in their growth. Read that research here.
So there you have it, six reasons to avoid sugar. There are many more of course, but I believe that these are some of the most important ones. There is NO need for added sugar in our diet. Eat non-processed healthy foods and your body will thank you.
