Is sugar actually bad for you? The latest in sugar research

In the mid-1950s, when scientists were looking for the reason they saw a sharp increase in heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. It soon became obvious that the consumption of foods low in fat and high in sugar actually increases the level of “bad” cholesterol (LDL), a big contributor to heart issues.

The large sugar and candy manufacturers of the time commissioned a competing study, which convinced everyone otherwise: foods containing cholesterol and saturated fat are to blame for the increase in the incidence. This idea was so firmly entrenched in the public mind that even today, the fear of consuming foods high in cholesterol and fat still prevents us from realizing the real culprit.

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One of the first to point it out was endocrinologist Robert Lustig in his speech at the University of California.

The main cause of problems with blood vessels, heart and metabolism is not fat, but added sugar

Addiction - Is sugar a drug?

Maybe. There are studies that support the hypothesis of sugar addiction.

The consumption of sugar may be related to stress. Chronic stress of varying intensity is experienced by 70-90% of people. How to deal with it? One of the most popular ways is to eat something sweet. Sugar at the physiological level relieves stress, albeit not for long. The scientists tracked changes in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in subjects in two situations: when they consumed drinks with sugar or with the sweetener aspartame. It turned out that sugar, unlike aspartame, reduces cortisol levels even at times of stress. It also supports the activity of the hippocampus, which is usually inhibited in a stressful state (perhaps to suppress feelings of fear). Hence the conclusion: sugar is highly likely to be addictive in people who do not cope well with chronic stress.

There are four main signs of addiction:

1. Abuse
2. Withdrawal
3. Uncontrollable cravings
4. Increased sensitivity to other drugs

The study, in which scientists compared the response of mice to the deprivation of their usual dose of sugar with the behavior of their relatives suffering from drug addiction, showed that,

In terms of the level of uncontrolled craving, addiction to sugar is indeed similar to drug addiction

After two weeks of sugar abstaining, the mice were 123% more likely to press the lever that supplied the sugar.

The sugar addiction theory has its critics. But one thing is clear:‍

There is not a single system in the body that would not suffer from the regular consumption of sugar and would not benefit from the rejection of it

Therefore, even if your brain is used to sweet dope, the body will definitely not miss it.

What will happen to the body if you give up sugar?

1. The condition of blood vessels and heart will improve. In 2014, American scientists calculated that people who get 17-21% of their calories from sugar (with a diet of 2000 kilocalories - this is 12-15 teaspoons per day), are 38% more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases than those who consume sugar is 8% of calories. Why is this happening? Sugar increases the level of triglycerides in the blood - because of them, the walls of blood vessels thicken and become less elastic. A decrease in the lumen of blood vessels leads to an increase in blood pressure, and this is the main risk factor for heart disease.
2. Weight and metabolism are normalized. The main nutrient in dietary sugar is glucose. In order for the tissues of the body to absorb it, the pancreas in response to the intake of sugar produces the hormone insulin, which signals the cells that they must absorb glucose molecules from the blood. If glucose is constantly supplied in large quantities, insulin resistance develops in the cells: they stop responding to insulin, as a result, unabsorbed glucose accumulates in the blood after eating. This is the first step towards developing type II diabetes. But there is also a second molecule in the composition of sugar - fructose, which has its own metabolic pathway. It does not stimulate the production of insulin, but contributes to the development of insulin resistance. Fructose is converted by the liver into glucose, lactose, and glycogen (a polysaccharide that the body uses to store glucose). When all glycogen reserves are filled, fructose begins to turn into fat and can cause fatty liver, which also disrupts glucose metabolism. In addition, fructose increases the level of the hormone ghrelin in the body, which is responsible for the feeling of hunger, and suppresses the production of leptin, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety. Studies show that a person who regularly consumes sugar eats more calories per day overall - and fructose seems to be to blame. And glucose, judging by the experiments on mice, triggers the energy storage mechanism when it enters the body at the time of stress. This means that both components of sugar at the physiological level contribute to weight gain - another serious threat to metabolic health.
3. The aging of the skin and the whole body will slow down. Sugar absorbed from the intestine naturally binds to protein molecules - this process is called glycation. Normally, glycation end products (AGEs) are almost completely eliminated from the body. But with regular consumption of sugar, proteins in our tissues accumulate damage. First of all, the skin suffers from this, in the areas where collagen protein is present. It becomes less and  less elastic, folds and wrinkles form on it. From an excess of AGEs, the membranes of internal organs, including blood vessels, “age” faster.
4. The risk of developing cancer will decrease. American scientists analyzed the data of 435,674 people aged 50-70 years: their diet, level and frequency of consumption of added sugar. Over seven years of observation, 42,454 people were diagnosed with cancer. Statistical analysis has shown a correlation between regular intake of sugar and the development of all types of cancer. Sugar itself is not a carcinogen. The danger is related to advanced glycation end products. They cause inflammatory reactions and the release of free radicals - these are the main risk factors for cancer.
5. Improve mood and cognitive abilities. Although sugar can block the stress response in the short term, in the long term, regular sugar consumption increases the risk of developing mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. In addition, research has shown that sugar impairs memory and damages the hippocampus, an area of ​​the brain that is involved in long-term and short-term memory. German scientists measured the levels of glucose and insulin in the blood of 141 healthy people and compared the results with data from MRI scans of the brain and the results of memory tests. It turned out that subjects who had higher levels of sugar and insulin performed worse on memory tasks. And MRI scans showed that in such people the hippocampus is smaller in size and its structure is changed. It seems that elevated blood sugar levels can lead to cognitive decline, even if the level remains within the normal range and the person has not been diagnosed with type II diabetes.

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