Most of us love sweet things, and our bodies sometimes crave sweets like in foods and drinks. The relationship that our bodies have with sugar is quite interesting. The reality is that we need sugar to survive; it actually plays a huge role in the way we function. But as we know, too much sugar isn’t good.  Â
The sugar that our bodies need and use is called glucose. It fuels our brain and is considered the #1 brain food. But did you know that you don’t necessarily need to add sugar/glucose to your diet? Our bodies create glucose by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Other than that, the majority of our diet includes natural sugars. Eating dairy, veggies, and fruits is an easy way to get glucose into your system. Â
How Does The Body React To Sugar
When you eat, the food goes through a process. It starts in your mouth and is broken down by your teeth and saliva. It then travels through your digestive tract, and your bloodstream absorbs all the glucose. Â
Depending on how much sugar you’re having, your insulin levels can increase quite quickly. Having spikes in your insulin levels can be problematic as time passes, and you want to avoid that as much as possible. Any extra glucose your body doesn’t use to help you function during the day is stored as fatty tissue. Â
What Should My Sugar Intake Look Like?
According to the American Heart Association, the recommended sugar intake:Â
- For men should be no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar, also known as 35 grams or 150 calories a day. Â
- For women should be no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar, also known as 25 grams or 100 calories a day.Â
It’s important to keep in mind that this recommendation is for added sugars, which is what we take in the most. You will still get your natural sugars from fruits and veggies, and there is no recommended limit for that so far.
Here are some added sugar names you should look out for when looking at a nutritional label:Â
- Cane Sugar
- Corn Sweeteners
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Molasses
- Fruit Concentrates
- Any sugar molecule ending in "ose" (fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose...)
Health Complications With Sugar
The body has a bittersweet relationship with sugar. We understand that our brain uses it as fuel, but too much of it can be harmful to the body. Many of the foods we eat contain added sugars. Companies use this to preserve food and give them a longer shelf life. We don’t need those added sugars, which cause health problems. Â
Let’s look at some of the complications of having too much sugar.Â
- Obesity Â
- Diabetes Â
- Increased sugar cravings Â
- Skin aging faster Â
- Cardiovascular disease Â
- Fatty liver disease Â
- Cognitive declineÂ
The downside to having too much sugar is noticeable changes in your energy levels, thinking capability and long-term damage to important parts of your body like your heart and liver. The best way to avoid this may be by cutting sugar out of your diet in general or limiting your sugar intake. What you choose truly depends on you. Â
Remember MyPlate
Though sugar has a bad reputation, we do need it to keep our bodies going. It’s just the extra processed sugars that we need to learn to reduce in our diet. Remember MyPlate and pay attention to what you’re eating day to day. Get the nutrients and glucose you need from a healthy diet and, once in a while, satisfy that sugar craving.  Â
Resources
Tolulope Ayoola
Tolulope Ayoola is the creative marketing content writer at MyCHN. She graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown with a degree in Technical Communications. Her goal and mission is to make healthcare patient content more relatable and interesting to interact with. She combines her creative eye with her technical communication skills to create content for patients. Tolu's past work includes creating blogs, press releases, and social media content for different sectors. She enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and listening to music & podcasts.
