Refined Sugars and Why they Should be Avoided!

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I don’t like to promote certain diets because every individual and their bodily needs are different. But I do like to promote science-backed researched that has been proven to help improve health, lifespan and decrease risks of diseases. One of these that should be avoided to improve your health is refined sugars! Refined sugars have been shown to impact:

  • Aging
  • Brain Inflammation
  • Brain Function and Memory
  • Development of Cancer
  • Hormones in men
  • Cardiovascular health and diabetes

Refined sugars are processed from sugar cane and can be found in cookies, soda pop, condiments, cake, crackers, candy, and much more. Many of which is classified as the American diet and is becoming a problem in the United States. Research shows that 3/4th of adults get about a 10th of their calories from refined sugars. To explain the magnitude here, refined sugars contributed to 133,000 deaths by diabetes, 45,000 deaths by cardiovascular diseases, and 6,450 deaths from cancer. Another study of 1600 people over a 14-year period showed that drinking 12 oz. of soda pop, sweetened tea, or lemonade a day increased the chances of pre-diabetes by 46%!

Refined Sugar and Cancer

Refined sugar has also been linked to cancer. This is because refined sugars have been linked to DNA damage which is shown to be a cause of cancer.  Research showed:

  • Men who drank soda pop everyday tripled their chances of getting prostate cancer.
  • A diet high in refined sugars was linked to an increased chance of developing breast cancer tumors.
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Refined Sugar and Aging and Cognitive Power

Scientist gage aging by telomere length. Telomere length is a biomarker to indicate aging and is found in DNA at the end of chromosomes. Why does this matter? An adult who drank one can of soda a day had shorter telomeres which were equivalent to shortening lifespan by 4 years.  Refined sugars in the diet also cause inflammation which is the bodies natural response to help protect itself from injury or illness. When consuming refined sugars over a long period of time caused an extended period of inflammation. Inflammation over time caused a decrease in lifespan and cognitive power. This also affects mood and memory. Even crazier is that long-term sugar intake actually changed the structure of a type of nerve in the brain. This change also is influenced by the intake of harsh drugs like cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine. Conclusion: Refined sugar= an addicting drug that affects brain function, and aging.

Refined Sugars and Hormones for Men

Men who consumed 75 grams of sugar had a 25% drop in testosterone for two hours following.

This consumption is also a never-ending cycle. When consuming sugar, the components in it, cause you to still feel hungry and make you crave more. Which causes weight gain from overeating and ongoing inflammation in the body. The good thing is research has shown that the benefits of cutting out sugar are quick. If you are looking to improve your health span cutting out refined sugars should be at the top of your list. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your older self who has less bodily inflammation, who is cognitively quick, and not crippled! Or do it for your children and grandchildren so you can be around and fun for longer!

On a side note, if you have high cholesterol and you are trying to lower it pay attention! You can be eating a healthy diet but the moment you drink a soda the good cholesterol consumed gets converted into dense LDL. This means that your cholesterol level won't change and the hard work you are putting in is being counteractive in regards to your cholesterol!

Sources:

This knowledge is passed on to you from Dr. Rhonda Patrick and her podcasts on foundmyfitness.com she is awesome go check her out!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/06/29/sugary-drinks-linked-to-180000-deaths-a-year-study-says/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140203163432.htm

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/tuhs-rio110716.php

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150430191138.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160405182105.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130201100149.htm
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00054/full
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/16/sugar-soft-drinks-dna-ageing-study

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396415300815