"Refined Sugar - 7 Reasons Why You Should Avoid it"

You see, excess sugar consumption has become associated with numerous health problems, some of which are quite serious.

In fact, our love affair with sugar has grown from consumption of 26 pounds per person a year in 1988, to its current level of 135 pounds per year.

Additionally, not only do we eat more of it, but it is now added to other foods we don't normally associate with sugar.

Doubtless, you would be well advised to heed the following seven reasons why you should avoid eating refined sugar.

Excessive levels of refined sugar may increase your risk of developing cancer.

Indeed, it's not the sugar that causes cancer, rather it's the increase in insulin and growth hormones.

Moreover, these hormones promote the growth of cancerous cells.

Let us note that cancer best thrives in an oxygen-free environment.

Additionally, cancer cells metabolize through a fermentation process. If you've ever made homemade wine before, you know that the fermentation process requires sugar.

Excess sugar consumption is considered to be one of the main causes of premature aging. The more sugar we eat, the more sugar we have entering the bloodstream.

As a consequence, this sets in motion a process known as glycation.

To clarify, glycation occurs when a sugar molecule attaches to a protein molecule. These new molecules are known as advanced glycation products, or AGEs.

As a result, AGEs cause damage to the collagen in skin. Consequently, wrinkles begin to form and the skin begins to sag.

In addition, elastin, another protein that keeps skin elastic, is one of the most susceptible proteins to this process.

Furthermore, glycation increases as your sugar consumption increases.

Refined sugar may impair your body's ability to fight infection.

Interesting enough, a study published in 1973, found that consuming 100 g of white sugar caused a reduction in white blood cell (WBC) activity up to five hours after ingestion.

White blood cells are important as they help your body fight infection.

Additionally, a study from 1976 discovered that drinking 24 ounces of cola caused reduced activity of another bacterial scavenger called a neutrophil.

Here again, it was five hours before normal activity resumed.

Third, another bacteria-fighting WBC, a phagocyte, experienced a 25% reduction in its ability to destroy bacteria after consumption of a couple of teaspoons of sugar.

Excess sugar consumption can lead to high blood pressure.

In the blood, sugar is rapidly converted into triglycerides, which can lead to obesity, heart disease, and Diabetes.

In any event, sugar, when mixed with animal fats, can cause atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is an arterial disease caused by a blockage of the arterial walls from cholesterol and other substances.

Also, sugar also increases the viscosity of the blood, increasing your risk of developing blood clots.

Apparently, sugar's mechanism of action affects how insulin is metabolized. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure

Excess sugar consumption puts you at greater risk for developing Diabetes.

Actually, sugar consumption will not cause you to develop Diabetes. However, it may make you overweight, and that makes you more likely to develop type 2 Diabetes.

Basically, sugar consumption causes your pancreas gland to produce insulin. Over time, the consumption of large amounts of sugar can take its toll and cause your pancreas gland to fail.

However, it may also cause your body to become resistant to insulin.

It is also interesting to note that another study from Harvard University found that women who drank one to two sugar sweetened soft drinks daily were at an 83% greater risk for developing Diabetes than women who drank less than one per month.

Refined sugar can also make you fat.

For years, dietitians suspected that dietary fat was the cause of our obesity epidemic in this country. They now know that sugar is largely responsible for this phenomenon.

Obviously, the problem with sugar is it contains high amounts of calories in a small amount of food. And we all know the importance of counting calories.

That is, if we hope to lose weight.

For example, a tablespoon of sugar contains around 60 calories. A typical soft drink contains around three tablespoons of sugar.

That means that your typical carbonated beverage contains around 180 calories, from sugar with little else, at least from a nutritional perspective.

Soft drinks that contain high amounts of refined sugar increase levels of uric acid in your blood. This puts you at greater risk for developing Gout.

In brief, Gout is a condition that is caused by the body's inability to eliminate excess uric acid. Subsequently, this uric acid gathers around joints, resulting in pain, and possible destruction of the joint.

Moreover, it is commonly associated with the big toe of the foot, but can occur in any joint in the body.

Finally, a study published in the January 2008 issue of Arthritis Care & Research cited that increased consumption of sugar-filled soft drinks led to increased levels of uric acid in the blood.

Unfortunately, we sugar lovers must face the fact that our sucrose habit may have serious health consequences.

It may even shorten our lives, for example.

instead, try to satisfy that sweet tooth with natural sugars found in complex carbohydrates such as fruits.

Although fruits contain sugar, they contain other nutrients that make them a healthy alternative.

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