There has been a debate on the need to cut down the flow of sugary foods to the human population. Research shows that there are ways that sugar can get into the blood stream of human beings. First, there is the ordinary table sugar, and there is sugar present in food. In the modern word, most foods have a high concentration of sugar which results in a high intake than the required normal body average of 306 calories. It is no doubt that sugar is essential to the human health since it gives energy, helps balance blood pressure especially for people with low blood pressure among other positive benefits. However, although sugar is needed to gain a healthy lifestyle, too much sugar should be avoided since more sugar can lead to serious health problems. Indeed, personal commitment and raising awareness to be healthier can help us to consume less sugar.
Sugar is critical to the human body as it is needed to gain a healthy lifestyle. The human body requires sugar to acquire energy and strength. Once we consume sugar, it is converted by the body through digestion into a type of sugar that is easy for the body to absorb referred to as glucose. Important to note is the fact that sugar contains high levels of calories that give the body energy (Stuart, 2013). Once glucose is formed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream where it is transported to all organs in the body. Glucose can be utilized by body organs and cells for energy and strength with the excess being stored as fat in the adipose tissue of the skin. Skin health has been reported to be promoted by sugar. In this connection, sugar’s glycolic acid is utilized, which not only maintains the look of the human skin but also restores balance in the skin’s oils (“Benefits of Sugar – Positive Health Effects”, 2017). Sugar has also been reported to help balance blood pressure especially for people with low blood pressure. When blood pressure goes below the expected body limit, and one is about to blackout, it is advisable that a person takes sugar. Taking sugar increases the amount of water retained in the blood which makes blood pressure increase (“Why Sugar Will Raise Your Blood Pressure More Than Salt.”, 2017). However, taking too much of sugar could result in high blood sugar which is unhealthy. Among the positive health effects of sugar is that it is a cure for depression. According to Barari 2017, sugar cures depression by heightening one’s mood and making a person feel good about themselves.
Conversely, excessive intake of sugar causes health problems. Firstly, too much sugar results to obesity. When sugar is taken in excess, it is stored in the liver, but with more consumption, the liver’s storage capacity is surpassed. What follows is the conversion of the glucose into fatty acids which are transported by the liver into the adipose tissue for storage. Additionally, the fatty acids are stored in regions including the stomach, hips, and breasts. As more sugar is consumed and stored as fatty acids, more weight is gained, and finally one becomes obese (Greenfield, 2017). For one to be considered obese, they have to be more that 20% above their average weight as predicted by their body mass index. Obesity has been compared to tobacco in the recent years given that many people die every year from obesity-related issues (Cottrell, 2012). Obesity is bad for the human health since it results in breathing problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Additionally, obesity has been reported to increase the chances of dying from not only cancer but also stroke and gout (Cottrell, 2012). Secondly, too much sugar has been reported to increase the likelihood of contracting type 2 diabetes. Thirdly, excessive intake of sugar increases the risk of contracting the cardiovascular disease (Wellnes, 2017). Additionally, excessive intake of sugar increases the chances of dying from hypertension and stroke which are among the killer heart diseases in the world. An equally important reason as to why excessive sugar should be avoided is the fact that it results in the development of cavities. Dentists have concluded that sugar is an enemy to healthy teeth. When bacteria lining the teeth feed on excess sugar, they create an acidic substance that destroys the enamel which as a result causes cavities. Taking excess sugar has also been reported to be a leading cause of liver failure. Liver failure occurs since high levels of sugar makes the fat to accumulate in the liver (Friedman, 2017). The excess fat leads to scarring which later progresses to liver failure. As such, doctors have advised against excessive intake of sugar for health concerns.
As explained above, taking excess sugar is harmful to the human health. It not only makes people obese but also increases their chances of dying from diseases including stroke, hypertension, and diabetes. To minimize the risks that come with excessive consumption of sugar, people should strive to cut their sugar consumption. In this connection, sugar detox comes in handy. Sugar detox ideally means downplaying the amount of sugar intake in the diet. Sugar detox as a permanent lifestyle change would aid in reducing the chances of being a victim obesity and heart disease (Woerner, 2017). Another way of cutting sugar in the diet is choosing to eat foods that have less sugar which could mean buying drinks and foods with low calories. Additionally, substitutes of sugar in recipes could be embraced more. Such alternatives include almonds, vanilla, and orange (“How to cut down on sugar in your diet”, 2017). Another important strategy to reduce high sugar intake is making the community aware of the risks that come with high consumption of sugar and also raise their awareness on the type of illnesses that they could avoid from having a low sugar intake in their diets. Importantly, the community could be educated on how a change in lifestyle could see them have a healthy life.
- Barari, A. (2017). Sugar Has Health Benefits Too!. www.boldsky.com. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2013/health-benefits-sugar-032944.html
- Benefits of Sugar – Positive Health Effects. (2017). Sugarhistory.net. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://www.sugarhistory.net/sugar-facts/health-benefits-of-sugar/
- Cottrell, R. (2012). Sugar: an excess of anything can harm. Nature, 483(7388), 158-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/483158d
- Friedman, L. (2017). 15 Terrible Things That Happen If You Eat Too Much Sugar. Business Insider. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/effects-of-eating-too-much-sugar-2014-3?IR=T
- Greenfield, B. (2017). How Sugar Makes You Fat – Greenfield Fitness Systems. Greenfield Fitness Systems. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from https://greenfieldfitnesssystems.com/article-archive/how-sugar-makes-you-fat/
- How to cut down on sugar in your diet. (2017). Actiononsugar.org. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://www.actiononsugar.org/Eat%20Less%20Sugar/How%20to%20eat%20less%20sugar/How%20to%20cut%20down%20on%20sugar%20in%20your%20diet%20/152083.html
- Stuart, A. (2013). Sugar in the blood (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
- Wellnes, B. (2017). Is Sugar Making Us Sick?. @berkeleywellness. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/sugar-making-us-sick
- Why Sugar Will Raise Your Blood Pressure More Than Salt.. (2017). Fearless Eating. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from https://fearlesseating.net/why-sugar-will-raise-your-blood-pressure-more-than-salt/
- Woerner, A. (2017). How to Do a Sugar Detox (Without Going Crazy). Life by Daily Burn. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://dailyburn.com/life/health/sugar-detox-diet/