Date 2016-01-26
Category ARTICLES
“Joe Leech is a Sydney-based clinical and sports Dietitian. He shares research-driven evidence at Diet vs Disease. In this informative write, he dishes out all you need to know about sugar and why you must avoid it.”
Sugar falling from Silver Spoon. Focus on edge of spoon sugar pile top.
Much like alcohol, smoking or Real Housewives marathons, re-examining your relationship with sugar can reap significant health benefits.
1. Sugar disrupts hormones in your brain
Certain components of food have different effects on our brain. This includes the hormones that control food intake.
Research shows that fructose does not affect satiety in the same way as glucose.
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association compared the effects of those drinking a glucose-sweetened drink compared with a fructose-sweetened drink. The fructose drinkers had much less activity in the satiety centres of the brain and felt hungrier overall.
2. The white stuff is addictive
For many people with addictive personalities, sugar can become a harmful addiction.
Similar to abusive drugs, sugar releases dopamine in the reward centre of the brain.
Foods with added sugar tend to contain large quantities that trigger a huge dopamine release. This is the mechanism behind that “sugar fix”.
The moderation message might not work for those with a sugar addiction; going cold turkey is your best bet.
3. Sugar can hurt your liver
Sugar is broken down into two simple sugars before it enters the bloodstream: glucose and fructose.
Glucose is in every living cell on the planet. Our bodies make it if we don’t eat enough.
Fructose is not necessary for life. It can only be metabolised in the liver, and our bodies do not produce it in any significant amount.
The liver can handle natural amounts of fructose, like fruits. But eating large and unnatural quantities, such as in junk foods and drinks, can overload the liver. This forces it to turn fructose into fat. Over time this process can lead to fatty liver disease and many more serious health problems. 40 per cent of Australian adults over the age of 50 have fatty liver disease.
