Refined Sugar, its in so many different things, comes in so many different forms – and even those of us that eat the cleanest of diets crave it from time to time! Do we really know how bad it is – or for that matter, why its so bad? So what is sugar, what does it do to us & why should we avoid it?
The dictionary definition of sugar is quite simple - a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative. If only it was really that simple! Yes, sugar is a carbohydrate, but it comes in many forms – the most common being sucrose (commonly found in food), lactose, dextrose (corn sugar) & fructose (fruit sugar).
Like starch, sugar raises blood glucose levels. When consumed, Sugar causes blood glucose levels to rise quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
Inundating the bloodstream with sugar upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, in-turn triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to try and regulate blood-sugar levels. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, meaning when foods high in sugar content are consumed, weight gain & elevated triglyceride levels will be a by-product.
So lets look at why sugar is so bad!
Firstly, the body uses sugar for energy. However, if the body is unable to utalise all the sugar consumed, it will turn excess sugar into fat . Great – just what we want, NOT! And what makes it even worse – whilst metabolizing this excess sugar, the body suffers a number of metabolic swings that are actually going to reduce energy, leaving you feeling sluggish!
Have you ever noticed that after you consume something with sugar in it, you are no longer hungry? Consuming sugar makes hunger go away, the problem is refined sugar contains no important nutrients, only empty calories. So, eating a refined carbohydrate like sugar means you are not consuming vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats or enzymes. The body then needs to borrow these vital nutrients from healthy cells to metabolise the incomplete food you have just consumed. It takes magnesium, calcium, sodium & potassium from elsewhere in the body to do this. What’s worse? Calcium is required to neutralize the effects of sugar on the body, which can lead to bones becoming osteoporotic due to withdrawn calcium! So remember, there is a difference between feeling full after every meal & gaining the nutrition you need from the meal!

We all want to look good and slow down the aging process – well listen to this! Consuming sugar affects the way you look. The sugar molecules bond to the protein molecules, in your body, without the controlling action of an enzyme. This is called glycation. Glycation, or inflammation of the skin, leads to high levels of free radicals which attack the collagen that keeps the skin stay firm. Without enough of this collagen, you will start to notice wrinkles. Furthermore, it can lead to a lack of mobility in the joints, dry brittle nails and hair and a range of other health problems.
Not only are free radicals bad news for your skin they are also deadly for the body, which is another reason why sugar is bad for your health. Free radicals can cause a lot of damage in healthy cells and lead to many illnesses of the body. Sugar will lead to increased immune deficiency. Research has shown that white blood cells are less efficient at fighting illness when exposed to sugar. Candida is the most common imbalance caused by excessive sugar intake. Candida albicans is a naturally occurring organism, living inside our intestines in balance with beneficial bacteria. Too much sugar often leads to excessive amounts of Candida. And in excess, Candida excretes toxic metabolites that begin to degrade the intestinal walls. Low energy and chronic fatigue is a major symptom of Candida because one of its by-products is acetaldehyde and this chemical creates ethanol as a by-product. Ethanol causes fatigue as it destroys enzymes needed for cell energy.
Cutting the excess sugar out of your diet is one of the best things you can do for your body.
It’s not easy especially the first few weeks when you will still experience some sort of craving for sugar!
Next post Tonic will provide you with a host of natural alternatives to sugar! Do you have your own website or blog? Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program. By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!