How dangerous is sugar? And should sugar be limited or eliminated from a diet?

By Irada Yunusova

Although in the past sugar was consumed freely, now people are hearing more and more about the dangers of sugar. Schools, cities, and even Disney Channel are trying to spread awareness of the risks of consuming too much sugar. High sugar intake increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and other health problems. In addition, sugar is just empty calories with no nutritional value that just makes people feel less full than if they had actually consumed the same number of calories in "real food." It also activates reward centers of the brain and can therefore be addictive. Many people are trying to cut back on their sugar consumption by decreasing the amount of soda, cookies, and candy they consume, but most Americans still consume more than is recommended. So what can be done?

To lower one's sugar intake, it is important to read food labels carefully and to recognize that syrup, sweetener, and most ingredients ending in "ose" indicate sugars added. It is also important to limit consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks. Ready-made meals and packaged foods like granola bars, yogurt, breakfast cereal, light salad dressings, soups, and sauces like ketchup often contain an abundance of high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners. Some healthy alternatives include grass-fed meats, fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruits, eggs, plain yogurt and milk. Also, meals cooked at home tend to contain healthier ingredients and come in smaller portions.

Some people attempt to cut sugar out of their diet entirely, but this is usually unsuccessful and even backfires. Sugar in moderation can be processed by the body. It is not plausible to eliminate all sugar from one's diet, because eating a low-fat diet has actually led some individuals to consume more sugar. Dieting can be unhealthy and some individuals try to manage their weight by cutting out essential foods so they can justify to themselves consuming sugar. Instead of dieting, individuals should try to eat a balanced diet with occasional treats.

References: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/real-healing/201305/is-the-war-against-sugar-fair