Beyond Weight Loss - How Sugar Increases Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

The amount of sugar that Americans are eating is unbelievable. The average American consumes 32 teaspoons of added sugar per day. The recommended amount per USDA dietary guidelines is 10 teaspoons based on a 2,000-calorie diet (which, in my opinion, is still quite high). These amounts of added sugar intake are not without consequence, and I want you to be as informed as possible so that you can make an educated decision on how much added sugar to allow in your dietary pattern.

Sugar comes in two different forms, naturally occurring and added. Naturally occurring sugars are those found in whole fruits and unsweetened whole milk. These are not the focus here. Added sugars are literally any sugars that have been added to a food to enhance its flavor. The dangers of added sugars are the focus of this post.

In order to be aware of added sugars, you have to know what you are looking for. They are included on ingredient labels by many different names including:

Agave Syrup Anhydrous dextrose Brown sugar

Cane juice Confectioner's Sugar Corn sweetener

Corn syrup & solids Crystal dextrose Dextrin

Dextrose Evaporated Corn Sweetener Fructose

Fruit juice concentrate Fruit nectar Glucose

High fructose corn syrup Honey Invert sugar

Lactose Liquid fructose Malt syrup

Maltose Maple syrup Molasses

Nectar Pancake syrup Raw sugar

Sucrose Sugar Sugar cane juice

Trehalose Turbinado sugar White granulated sugar

The amount of added sugars in a food is listed on the nutrition label under "added sugars". These added sugars are now America's number one food additive (per the USDA). Manufacturers are not considering the public's health when they add these sugars to foods. They add them to make foods taste better, to make them as hyper-palatable as possible, which in turn, increases consumption and sales.

A large part of marketing and sales of these types of foods are geared towards children. One trip down the "snack" isle at the grocery store confirms this (this infuriates me and is a blog for another day).

Sugar is Not So Sweet - Beyond Weight Loss

It is common for people to equate excess sugar intake with weight gain. It is avoided because people don't want to get fat. The logic is that desserts make people fat. That's conventional wisdom, and it's over simplified. In reality, sugar might only account for a small percentage of the obesity epidemic in America. The increased risks of developing diseases associated with metabolic dysfunction are directly related to excess added sugar intake, and this is the real danger of too much sugar in your diet.

How does this happen?

When you eat sugar, your body metabolizes only the fructose (sweet part of the sugar), in the liver. If larger amounts than the body is equipped to handle are taken in, the capacity of the mitochondria (energy burning factories in your cells) become overwhelmed. When this happens, the mitochondria turn the excess fructose into liver fat, and this drives insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is an inability of muscle tissue to effectively use insulin, where the action of insulin is "resisted" by insulin sensitive issues. I don't want to get too far out into the science here. In short, this process can eventually lead to the development of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and lipid issues.

This does not even take into account the indirect links that sugar has to an increased risk for cancer and dementia, possible premature aging of the skin, cavities, and possible addiction for certain individuals who may be more susceptible.

The good news?

You can lower your risk to all of these health outcomes by making simple adjustments to your dietary pattern and sticking to them long-term. The fail-proof way to limit added sugars is to read labels and purchase foods that do not have them ("no added-sugar" processed foods and more whole foods). It is not sustainable to assume that you will never eat any amount of added sugar, so limiting them is more realistic. The "safe" intake recommendations vary among different organizations. The current recommendations are as follows:

• American Heart Association (AHA): Men should have no more than 37.5 grams (9 teaspoons) and women should have no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugars per day1.

  
  

• FDA: The daily value limit is 50 grams (about 12 teaspoons) per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet2.

  
  

• A stricter limit suggested by AHA is no more than 100 calories (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams) for most men3.

  
  

• For adults, the recommended daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 30g4.

My advice is to be aware of these added sugars and understand their danger. The health outcomes of overconsumption are real, evidenced, and go way beyond weight loss. It is worth prioritizing.

Here are four strategies that may be useful for you:

1. Eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages

This includes any beverage with added sugar. Soda, juice, flavored milks and sports drinks. This includes sugar in your coffee as well, and sugary creamers. Stevia and cream or unsweetened plant-based options are great if you are not a fan of black coffee.

2. Mindfulness with Dessert

It's part of life to enjoy a dessert sometimes. It's great to get enjoyment out of food. It's part of our happiness and bonding as humans to share foods with each other that we love. However, if enjoyment starts to come at the cost of our health, then it's time to take a step back and consider other options. Here are some ideas to consider. Have a small dessert on days when your added sugars have been low throughout the day. Maybe pick a day for dessert and stick to it. If you love a dessert every day, try low carb or keto desserts that are stevia sweetened and see if you find one you like. Try a small portion that is within daily added sugar recommendations. Choose what works for you, something that you enjoy, and be consistent.

3. Eliminate/strictly limit refined carbohydrate foods like white rice, white bread and white flour

You can replace these with whole grain options. If you do include whole grains in your dietary pattern, remember to keep your portions in check. Replacing these foods with quality proteins, fats, fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to add more nutrition to your dietary pattern.

4. Exercise

When you exercise, the metabolism of your mitochondria increases. This means they may be less susceptible to overload if you have eaten too much sugar. One more reason why we should all make an effort to get regular exercise!

If you have any questions about anything you have read here, or otherwise, feel free to reach out.

Prioritize your health!