Is sugar the culprit?

Refined sugar. This yummy little substance seems to find it’s way way into every one of our foods. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it neither? Let’s have a look….

What is it?

Just like we’ve talked about how carbs are essentially sugars, sugars are well…. carbs. They are sweet molecules that come in all different forms, and are found in a huge variety of foods- both naturally occurring and highly processed. One of the simplest sugars is glucose which is found in almost all food sources, but naturally in fruit and vegetable sources. Fructose is commonly known as “fruit sugar” but is also found in other substances like honey. Galactose is the last common monosaccharide (simple sugar) and forms a part of lactose, which is the main sugar found in milk.

The sugar we find added to foods is most often sucrose. This is what we call “table sugar” and is a combination of glucose and fructose. This is derived from the sugarcane plant.

Where do we find it?

As mentioned, sugar in all its forms is found virtually everywhere. Too much of anything can be harmful, but particularly sugar. The sugars found in fruits and vegetables are still sugar…. but enclosed in a bundle of healthy fibres and micronutrients that prevent huge glucose spikes and allow for a well-paced release of sugar into the bloodstream. This is preferable to too many sweet treats and straight sugar added into our processed snacks and goodies, which often lack the micronutrients your body needs as a daily contribution to a healthy diet.

What effect does sugar have on the body?

Sugar affects many areas of the body. A Harvard study found that eating too much sugar can overload the liver. The liver metabolises this overload and converts it to fat, which can contribute to fatty liver disease and increases the risk of diabetes and subsequent heart disease. Along with these inadvertent effects, sugar also causes higher blood pressure and inflammation in the body. These are issues in themselves, but can also contribute to a greater risk of heart problems as well.

High refined sugar intake can be linked to the development of overweight and obesity due to your body storing these excess calories as fat. A high buildup of sugar in the blood can overwhelm the pancreas and negatively affect it’s ability to produce insulin- a hormone which allows blood glucose into cells to be stored as glycogen in order to keep blood sugar levels stable (read more about this in my article on carbohydrates- https://katierosestadler.com/lets-talk-carbs/).

This damage to insulin-secreting cells can be a contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes, as your body is either no longer able to produce enough insulin to meets its needs or simply cannot use it effectively.

Other negative effects include the development of dental issues and tooth decay, as well as increased mood swings. Blood sugar spikes cause a rapid release of dopamine, which is then followed by a crash that can cause irritability, anxiety and brain fog due to an influx of stress hormones such as cortisol. These rapid hills and valleys can easily become a constant cycle of craving as your brain keeps on desiring the dopamine “reward”.

Too much refined sugar in your diet might also result in your skin health taking a hit due to an increase in inflammatory chemicals and its effect on hormone production. For instance, insulin release can cause an increase in sebum production which can clog pores and worsen conditions such as acne.

My personal experience?

I have fasted refined sugar before for short periods, but I decided to do it again this December for a solid 10 days straight, paying careful attention to my body’s signals and how it affected how I felt in all aspects. I decided to be as strict as possible, with the aim of educating myself as well as breaking the cycle of sugar-addiction I felt I had fallen into.

The first 4-5 days hit me by surprise. I thought that I would immediately feel better, but I actually felt quite horrible. I soon learned that this was all linked to withdrawal. My gut flared up very badly (my IBS was likely exacerbating this effect as well) and I was constantly bloated and had a bad stomach. After researching this I found out it was because the bacteria in your gut thrive on sugar, and when this is drastically reduced your whole gut microbiome has to readjust.

I also felt incredibly fatigued and low energy, and had to fight cravings which caused me to feel a sense of dissatisfaction when eating substitutes such as fruit when all I wanted was chocolate. I felt irritable and expended more effort when making meals because I had to try and find substitutes for so many foods I would often eat.

During this period I also realised the hidden sugars that are in almost every food that has been processed in some way. I couldn’t eat bread, crackers, plain pretzels, cereals, pickles, and pretty much all condiments. Although the amount consumed in a serving of something such as a pickle or a condiment is so minimal, it still helped me become more aware of the prevalence of added sugar and how the all the small things can add up.

It was when the withdrawal subsided that I started to notice huge positive effects. My bloating disappeared, and my IBS actually seemed to improve as well. I felt energised and less irritable. I also stopped having any form of cravings, which made eating healthier and choosing no-sugar options so much easier. My skin improved and I could really feel that my body held less inflammation overall.

The biggest effect for me was actually psychological. Fewer up and down mood swings made me feel a lot happier. Along with this, I felt more in control of what I was eating and more satisfied after eating it. I attribute this to increasing my fibre intake due to substituting sweet treats for fruit, bread for whole-grains etc. which made me feel fuller. I also experienced joy in knowing that I was fuelling my body with good things, and not just empty calories. I knew I was eating healthily, which translated into feeling more healthy and happy both physically and emotionally.

And so…..

Taking on this short challenge motivated me to dive deeper into how refined sugar can negatively affect everyday life. It helped me to break an addictive cycle and stop cravings to gain a greater sense of control around my eating. I am eating sugar again now, but I try my best to stay aware of added sugars and to not fall back into a loop where I feel like I “need” a piece of chocolate to be satisfied. It tests creativity in finding healthy substitute foods, and made my body feel more grounded and vitalised.

To end off, I would definitely recommend giving this a try, even for a short stint to see and feel how it affects you and your body.

Is sugar the culprit? My answer is no. Sugar is not inadvertently bad, but it certainly has the potential to harm your body if you are not aware of what you are putting into it. I will continue to be eating my chocolate and ice-cream, and enjoying everything I put into my body. But, I will also go into a new year eating mindfully, listening to my body, and choosing to substitute things I know will cause my body stress (like huge influxes of refined sugar) with alternatives that give my body more of what it needs (a.ka. whole foods, in a natural form).

I hope this article was insightful, and that it inspires you to be kind to your body through the fuel you choose to give it!

References: https://www.britannica.com/science/sugar-chemical-compound, https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10384374/#sec5-nutrients-15-03274, https://www.dentalhealth.org/news/sugar-and-obesity-a-sweet-but-dangerous-connection#:~:text=The%20sugar%2Dobesity%20link,and%20even%20’healthy’%20snacks., https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193#:~:text=The%20liver%20stores%20glucose%20in,Race%20and%20ethnicity.