Is Sugar Really As Bad For You As They Say

Everyone knows that there’s sugar in foods like candy and chocolate, but there are many hidden sources of added sugars in your fridge or pantry that may surprise you.

Did you know that sauces like salad dressings and ketchup often have added sugar?

How about seemingly-healthy foods like instant oatmeal and yoghurt?

Sugar is absolutely everywhere, often without us knowing.

But is that necessarily a bad thing?

I’m Dr. Sheila Dyer, a naturopathic doctor, and I offer ND nutrition counselling services in Toronto.

Let’s take a look at the question: is sugar really as bad for you as they say?

Is Sugar Bad? Yes, It Is. But Why?

Many people rely on fully or partially prepared meals or snacks to feed themselves and their families.

Hidden sugars in these foods can mean you may not be aware of how much sugar you’re actually eating.

But whether you know it or not, high sugar diets have been shown to contribute negatively to your mental and physical health in a number life altering ways.

Let’s take a look at them

1. It Increases Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Consuming too much sugar has been linked to an increased likelihood of developing many life-altering health conditions including heart disease, which is the number one cause of death worldwide.

The evidence that diets high in sugar lead to conditions that are high risk factors for heart disease is overwhelming.

Possible conditions include, but aren’t limited to, high triglyceride, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, obesity, inflammation and even atherosclerosis, a disease that creates dangerous, artery-clogging deposits.

Many of these conditions can have long-term negative effects that can result in lifelong consequences to your overall health.

As a result, a naturopathic approach to heart disease will address sugar intake among other factors.

2. It Increases Your Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Currently, one in three Canadians is living with either diabetes or prediabetes, and only 5-10% of these are type 1 diabetes.

While sugar consumption isn’t the only factor for this dramatic rise in cases of type 2 diabetes, there is a clear link between the two.

The strongest risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is obesity, which may be caused by consuming a high sugar diet.

In fact, most people who have diabetes are overweight or obese, which for many is the result of consuming too much sugar.

Long term consumption of too much sugar allows your body to develop a resistance to insulin, which causes high blood sugar and a dramatic increase in the risk of developing diabetes.

3. It May Increase Your Risk Of Cancer

Being overweight or obese is often the result of a sugar-rich diet, and significantly raises the risk of cancer.

Long term exposure of your body to too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance, which results from your body’s long-term exposure to too much sugar, as well as inflammation in the body.

Both inflammation in the body and insulin resistance have been known to carry an increased risk of cancer.

A study featuring over 430,000 people found that a diet high in added sugar distinctly increased the risk of several types of cancers.

Another study demonstrated the risks of sugar consumption by comparing cisgender women who ate sweets more than three times a week and determined that they were 1.42 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than those who ate less sugar.

4. It Can Affect Your Energy Levels

When you eat foods high in sugar, it results in a spike in blood sugar followed by insulin as your body hurries to process the energy source.

This influx of high-sugar gives your body a quick burst of energy.

Unfortunately this type of energy boost is quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, which is commonly referred to as a sugar crash.

Constant sugar crashes caused the regular consumption of a high-sugar are known to lead to major fluctuations in energy levels which can have a detrimental effect on your day to day life.

It’s particularly troublesome to eat high sugar snacks before bed, as they can disrupt your sleep.

That’s why one of my recommendations for optimal sleep is to avoid these high sugar snacks.

Check out this smart bedtime snacks guide for some better options.

5. It’s The Number One Cause Of Obesity

A high-sugar diet is physically addictive and not at all healthy for your body.

Fructose, a type of simple sugar used to sweeten sugary drinks, increases food cravings and overall hunger more than other types of sugar.

Consuming high amounts of fructose may also cause a resistance to leptin, which is a hormone that tells your body that you’re full and to stop eating.

As a result of these factors, consuming a high sugar diet with sugary drinks that feature fructose does very little to curb your hunger.

Instead it makes you crave more fructose while making it very easy to consume a lot of calories in a short amount of time, which can lead to dramatic weight gain.

There is plenty of research showing that increased intake of added sugar causes obesity.

6. It Can Age Your Skin

While wrinkles are a natural result of aging, a diet high in sugar can speed the aging process of your skin.

A diet high in refined sugars leads to the production of substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are compounds formed by the reaction between sugar and protein in your body.

AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help your skin stretch and appear youthful.

And damage to collagen and elastin results in skin that is less firm and elastic.

On the other hand, reducing your intake of added sugars in your diet can help your skin age better.

7. It’s Hard On Your Liver

Fructose is broken down almost exclusively by your liver, which converts the sugar into energy or stores it as glycogen.

Excess amounts of sugar are turned into fat, which can lead to excessive fat buildup in the liver.

If left unchecked, this can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD.

One study of 5908 adults found those who drank sugary beverages had a greater risk of developing NAFLD than those who didn’t.

8. It Can Affect Your Mental Health

Researchers have determined that a diet high in added sugars leads to factors which have a negative impact on your mental health.

Along with a higher risk of depression, a high sugar diet causes blood sugar swings, neurotransmitter dysregulation and inflammation, which can be quite harmful to your mental health.

Studies have demonstrated time and again the negative effect that consuming too much sugar can have on your mental health.

One 22 year long study a> following 8,000 people showed that men who consumed more sugar were 23% more likely to develop depression than those who consumed less.

Another study examined 69,000 cisgender women and determined that those who consumed the highest amount of sugar had the greatest risk of depression in the group, especially those who are postmenopausal.

Book Your Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, Today

Making a positive change doesn’t have to be overwhelming, nor do you have to do it alone.

Book your appointment with Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, today and take the first step towards a healthier life.