Why is Added Sugar Bad for You?Why is Added Sugar Bad for You?

Added sugar vs naturally occurring sugar

There are 2 broad categories of sugars:

1. Naturally occurring sugars: These are intrinsic to (i.e., naturally occurring in) the foods they are found in, typically fruits and dairy products.

1. Added sugars: These are sugars that are added to foods or beverages during processing (e.g., your pre-packaged breakfast cereals) or preparation (e.g., drizzling honey over Greek yogurt).

In case you’re wondering, the answer is no. Your body cannot tell naturally occurring and added sugars apart because they’re indistinguishable in chemical structure.

OK, so why is added sugar bad?

Hmm. If your body cannot differentiate between glucose from, let’s say, grapes (naturally occurring) and a heaping scoop of table sugar (added sugar), then what’s the problem with eating added sugar?

It comes down to what you get — and/or fail to get — alongside the sugar. To expand on that:

With naturally occurring sugars

you’ll often get dietary fiber and healthful micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals). Take a large orange, for example. It packs 4.4 grams of fiber (15.7% Daily Value) plus 97.9 mg of vitamin C (that’s 108.8% DV for men and 130.5% DV for women!) To briefly expand on the benefits of fiber and micronutrients:

• Dietary fiber slows the rate of sugar breakdown and, as a result, glucose uptake by your cells. This leads to a gentler effect on your blood glucose levels. That’s a good thing because even in individuals without diabetes, dramatic blood sugar swings have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
• Micronutrients are vital to disease prevention and well-being. Vitamin C, for example, plays a crucial role in fending off oxidative stress, regulating the immune system, and supporting optimal cognitive function.

With added sugars

you’re often eating them in the form of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). These are calorie-dense yet nutrient-poor foods. Examples include pre-packaged cookies, candies, and muesli bars. They’re essentially “empty calories” that not only increase your likelihood of overeating (setting you up for weight gain) but also spike your blood glucose levels. Many of them are also bursting at the seams with trans fat, which is directly connected with cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Staying within added sugar recommendations

Bottom line? Limit your consumption of added sugar. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the following added-sugar limit:

• Men: No more than 36 grams (about 9 teaspoons) daily
• Women: No more than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) daily

Here are a few tips that’ll help you cut back on your added sugar consumption:

• Check and read food labels. Look for added sugar content, and choose pre-packaged foods and drinks with the lowest added sugar content.
• Make smart swaps where you can. For example, swapping in a quarter of a mashed banana for your usual drizzle of honey over oatmeal and taking your coffee with a shake of cinnamon instead of flavored syrup.

• Cut back on sugary drinks. Public service announcement: you don’t have to stick with boring old plain water if you don’t want to. There’s fruit-infused water, black coffee, unsweetened coconut water, and … *ahem* ginseng tea.

Of course, it goes without saying that we’re biased toward ginseng tea. How can we not be, seeing how it could help you significantly reduce your added sugar intake and provide you with an impressive list of health benefits, from gut health to weight loss to fertility (for both women and men)?

To learn more about ginseng’s benefits, click here. And if you’re in the market for the best-quality Ontario Ginseng Tea, click here.