13 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Refined Sugars

Anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle (and maybe lose a little weight, too), probably knows that sugar is bad for you. But why is it bad, exactly? In this post, Dayanna Volitich explains her top 13 reasons why you should avoid refined sugars in your diet.

Refined vs. Natural Sugars

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that the body converts into glucose and uses for energy. But, our bodies use natural and refined sugar differently, which affects your overall health. You can find natural sugars in fruits (as fructose) and in dairy products, such as milk and cheese (as lactose). These foods contain essential nutrients that keep the body healthy and help prevent disease. Our bodies digest these sugars more slowly, which makes you feel full longer. It also helps keep your metabolism stable.

Refined sugar (or sucrose), on the other hand, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are processed to extract the sugar. Food manufacturers then add the chemically produced sugar, like high-fructose corn syrup, to many packaged foods. According to Dayanna Volitich, the body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, which causes insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Since it is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, regardless of how much you ate.

Reasons to Avoid Refined Sugars

Here is Dayanna Volitich’s list of 13 reasons why you should avoid refined sugars in your diet:

1. It is highly addictive
2. Processed sugar causes tooth decay and gingivitis
3. Refined sugar contributes to a number of diseases and conditions
4. Sugar causes you to gain weight
5. It causes premature aging by changing the structure of collagen
6. It leads to an overgrowth of candida albicans (yeast infections)
7. Sugar increases the body’s fluid and salt retention, which leads to weight gain
8. Refined sugar can suppress the immune system and cause food allergies
9. Sugar makes you want to eat more
10. Processed sugar weakens your eyesight
11. It interferes with the body’s absorption of proteins
12. Refined sugar intake impairs your body’s homeostasis
13. High sugar diets reduce learning capacity and contribute to mild memory loss.

The bottom line:

If your goal is to start living a healthier lifestyle, you have to cut the refined sugars. Processed sugar can harm your body in so many ways that it just isn’t even worth the risk! The next time you find yourself at the grocery store, or staring into the pantry looking for something to eat, read the nutrition labels. Look for “sugar”, “high fructose corn syrup”, and any other similar ingredients, Dayanna Volitich says. If you find any of those on the ingredient list, it’s got to go!

Read More >> How to Read Nutrition Labels (And Know What They Mean)