Bread image: Veganbaking.net
A recent ABC News article lists 7 reasons to give up sugar, most not surprising to Paleo & Primal advocates. Author Leah Zerbeh quotes Robert Lustig, MD, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California, San Francisco. Among the 7 reasons to avoid added sugar -
It tricks your brain
The Facts: Eating too much added sugar allows the fructose found in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup to send your hunger hormones into a tailspin. The hormonal messages that tell your brain you’re full aren’t properly triggered, tricking your system into thinking you haven’t eaten, Dr. Lustig explains.
Where Sugar Lurks: Surprisingly, in bread—and not just white bread, either. Multigrain and whole wheat generally contain about 2 grams of added sugar per slice.”
It accelerates aging
The Facts: “Sugar is a primary contributor to the aging process,” Dr. Lustic explains. He says fructose, the sweet molecule in sugar, is seven times more potent than the glucose portion of sugar, forming oxygen radicals, leading to higher rates of cell damage and death, and contributing to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It speeds along the aging process in general.
Where Sugar Lurks: You wouldn’t guess it, but added sugar hides out in most tomato sauces. “The problem is that the Institute of Medicine, United States Department of Agriculture, and Food and Drug Administration refuse to list a Dietary Reference Intake—a maximum—for sugar consumption,” Dr. Lustig says. “That gives the food industry license to put any amount into any food they want. With no Daily Recommended Intake, you can’t know if you’re over the top.”
Learn more: 7 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Sugar (ABC)
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