Refined Sugar Is Intensely Pleasurable But Lacks Nutrients

Consuming too much added sugar in foods can have numerous negative effects on your health and well-being. An excess of sugary drinks and processed foods can lead to weight gain, higher blood glucose levels and an increased risk for heart disease as well as other chronic health conditions. On average, American adults ingest approximately 19.5 teaspoons of added sugars a day, which is 78 grams and more than double the 36 grams per day as recommended by the American Heart Association.

A recent study suggested, since sugar is intensely pleasurable, it may be necessary for us to see it as a cardinal sin by adding moral judgment and remembering it is totally lacking in nutritional value.

• Better Brain Health - The damage that added sugar does to your body begins in your brain. Overeating, learning disorders, poor memory and depression have been linked to the over consumption of sugar. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the average American adult consumes 156 pounds of added sugar per year.
• Look Younger - Excess sugar in the bloodstream leads to glycation where sugar binds with amino acid molecules, which results in premature aging of the skin and may be a factor in other age-related diseases.
• Live Happier - A twenty-two year study of 8,000 participants showed that men who consume 67 grams or more of sugar a day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who consumed 40 grams a day.
• Shed Pounds - Being overweight or obese is a complex interaction between diet, physical activity, genetics and environment exposure. However, there is strong evidence showing excess dietary sugar might be a major trigger.

If you want to lose weight and improve your well-being, you should avoid foods that contain added sugars. Whereas naturally occurring sugars are fine, added sugars are abundant in processed foods, soft drinks and baked goods.

A report issued by the University of Utah claimed that even consuming added sugars within the recommended levels could still be harmful to health and well-being. However, cutting natural sugars from your diet would be difficult to achieve. According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of added sugars per day for men is 150 calories or nine teaspoons, where the maximum added sugar for women is 100 calories or six teaspoons per day. Added sugar may be the single worst ingredient in the American diet.