Date 2016-01-26
Category ARTICLES
Sugar falling from Silver Spoon. Focus on edge of spoon sugar pile top.
4. Sugar drives insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from blood into the muscles. This is crucial as too much sugar in the blood is highly toxic, and is one of the drivers behind type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance refers to when insulin stops working as it should, leaving sugar to accumulate in the blood. The research shows that sugar intake is associated with insulin resistance, particularly when eaten in large quantities. Once insulin resistance becomes really bad, blood sugar levels skyrocket and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is made.
It’s no wonder a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found sugary beverage drinkers have up to an 83 per cent higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
5. A waste of space
It’s not exactly news fresh off the press… but it’s worth repeating. Added sugars contain absolutely zero essential nutrients. Just kilojoules. Hence the term “empty” calories.
No proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals in sugar; just energy you didn’t need.
6. Added sugar can raise your heart disease risk
Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide.
Saturated fat was always made to blame, but it turns out added sugar may be the real villain here.
Research from the Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that consuming large amounts of fructose raises small LDL cholesterol particles, triglycerides, blood sugar and insulin levels, and abdominal fat mass considerably – and all in as little as 10 weeks.
These are all major risk factors for heart disease.
