Sweet Ignorance

A can of Red Bull helps to jump start the day.  If there's time in the morning to chew & swallow something, a muffin is a handy way to curb the appetite till lunchtime rolls around.  When the mid-afternoon energy lull hits, a chocolate chip cookie or handful of M&Ms is the perfect antidote.  While a fruit smoothie quenches the thirst and revives the spirit of "health nuts."  And, finally, a scoop or two of ice cream is in order after dinner - just because.  You may not have a sweet tooth, but it's hard to resist a piece of pie or slice of Buche de Noel when the holidays roll around.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Americans are addicted to sugar.  The cupcake craze, which began in the late '90s, is stronger than ever thanks to crafty pastry chefs capitalizing on our ever growing desire to have our cake and eat it too.  Bakeries specializing in mini cakes topped with gobs of frosting are popping up everywhere.  It is now not only convenient but socially acceptable to satisfy one's craving for childhood nostalgia at any time or place.  Rationalizations are really only necessary to quell self-inflicted guilt.

Annual per capita sugar consumption in the United States is over 150 pounds.  What I find more disturbing than this outrageous statistic is the pervasive indifference about sugar's deleterious effects.  Aside from the obvious warnings about dental cavities and weight gain, reducing sugar intake is typically not recommended by conventional medicine as a way to mitigate other common problems like high blood pressure and chronic disease (ie. arthritis, allergies).  However, doing so has many positive health implications.  Here are a few reasons to kick the sugar habit...

1. Sugar suppresses the immune system
Glucose, the most basic form of sugar, has a chemical structure similar to ascorbic acid (aka. Vitamin C) which the immune system requires to fight off bacteria and viruses.  They compete with each other in vivo.  The more glucose there is floating around, the less Vitamin C can get into the cells that need it which compromises the immunity.  If you want to avoid getting sick this winter, abstaining from dessert is a good strategy.

2. Sugar accelerates aging
Sugar bonds to proteins and lipids (fat) in a process called "glycation," which is the first step in a series of reactions that lead to AGEs or advanced glycation endproducts.  AGEs interfere with basic cellular functions throughout the body.  Since they are eliminated slowly, there is plenty of time for them to wreck havoc on collagen, retina cells, beta cells in the liver, DNA, etc.  Some of the noticeable symptoms include a sullen complexion, wrinkled skin and liver spots.

3. Heart disease/increased triglycerides
Sugar raises triglycerides and LDLs.  Excess sugar consumption leads to insulin resistance which depresses magnesium stores.  Without adequate magnesium, muscles constrict and high blood pressure can result.  All these factors increase heart disease risk.  Instead of obsessing over saturated fat, you'd be wise to be more mindful about the sugar content of your diet.

Just because something is edible - and tastes good - does not mean that you should eat it and eat it often.  It doesn't matter what kind of sugar - high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup, honey or plain old white sugar.  Sugar is sugar.