LESS SUGAR = MORE HAPPINESS

Sugar isn’t just a cause of metabolic disorder. Mental health is another casualty of great potential.

The average person currently consumes approximately 180 pounds of sugar annually. It sounds shocking, but it is a fact.

Sugar is a toxic chemical which is eight times more addictive than cocaine.

Yes, sugar is by far the most addictive substance legally available and acceptable by all social structures.

The brain wants sugar, then more sugar

Pleasure is exciting. Happiness is transcendent. More importantly, pleasure is dopamine. And happiness is serotonin.

When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbent receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so, you consume more. The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So, you have to consume more to get the same effect -- tolerance. And if you pull back on the substance, you go into withdrawal. Tolerance and withdrawal constitute addiction. And make no mistake, sugar is addictive.

Sugar causes metabolic dysfunction. Eating sugar causes a barrage of symptoms known as classic metabolic syndrome which includes weight, abdominal obesity, decreased HDL (good cholesterol) and increased LDL (bad cholesterol), elevated blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure and high Uric acid levels. All of these increase the risk of heart and kidney disease manifold. Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning. It is proven now after many studies that a high fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body.

Fructose, which is sugar found in fruits but also added as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in nearly all processed foods. Fructose fools your metabolism by turning off your body’s appetite control system. It fails to stimulate Insulin which in turn fails to suppress Ghrelin, the hunger hormone which then fails to stimulate Leptin, the satiety hormone. This causes you to eat more and develop Insulin resistance, better known as type 2 Diabetes.

The hippocampus is the center for emotion, new memory, memory storage and organization and autonomic nervous system. Experiments have proven that higher blood glucose levels were linked with bad memory as well as a smaller hippocampus. Each time your blood glucose levels rise the hippocampus is inflamed and over time it just shrinks. MRIs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients have proven this.

Brain scans have confirmed that intermittent sugar consumption affects the brain in ways similar to certain drugs. Sugar uses the same neurological pathways as narcotics, to hit the pleasure center of the brain that sends out the signals: “eat more, eat more”.

 If you find yourself irritable, anxious, and moody, the reason could be the sugar in your diet. The body is very sensitive to changing glucose levels. Giving up sugar will re-establish the hormonal equilibrium in your brain and thus reduce these changes in mood.

Sugar causes Leptin Resistance

When your body's leptin receptors are working effectively, they tell you when you've had enough to eat and help you maintain a healthy weight. Overconsumption of fructose, a sweetener used in many beverages, has been linked to a shutdown in leptin response. Over time, this can lead to hunger, weight gain, diabetes, and put you at increased risk for a number of chronic illnesses.

Side Effects of Excessive Sugar Consumption

Obesity	Diabetes	Tooth Decay	Receding Gums
Excess Belly Fat	Joint Pain	Kidney Health	Behavioral Problems
Heart Failure	Stroke	High Cholesterol	Cardiovascular Disease
Heart Lesions	Depression	Poor Gut Health	Unhealthy Eating Habits
Aging	Allergies	Leptin Resistance	Colorectal Cancer
Memory Loss	Hair Loss	Infertility	Reproductive Cancers
Cellular Damage	Migraines	Dehydration	Lymphatic Disorders
Ulcers	Bloating	Heartburn	Erectile Dysfunction
Blurred Vision	Fatty Liver	Biliary Cirrhosis	Bladder Cancer
Insomnia	Osteoporosis	Brain Tumors	Breastfeeding Trouble

 

Pay Attention to Added Sugars

Over time, an excess amount of sugar starts to make your body sluggish, causes weight imbalances, and can eventually lead to dangerous conditions including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

 The WHO estimated that 6% of the world's population has diabetes while the total number of diabetic patients today is four times what it was in 1980. 

 Hopefully people will choose to go down the healthier path to help prevent lifelong diseases caused by the sweet tooth.