We all know sugar is bad, despite this we do succumb to the temptation and eat. It could be sugary drinks or something sweet. Something sweet we eat is more often too sweet but we can’t resist eating it. Every adult knows what the sweet is doing inside the body but we have our explanations to eat it. It could be that ice cream or that chocolate banana pudding or the pecan pie, we all have our favorites. I also have a sweet tooth and fight that urge daily to stop myself from stuffing sweetness inside me. I know how bad sugar is but sugar is my weak spot. Many studies have been done where diabetes instances have gone up as we drank more sugary drinks. What was the reason, these drinks had high fructose corn syrup? High fructose corn syrup was sweeter, we should have been using more, wrong we used the same amount, and because of the increased sweetness in the drinks it led to an increase in diabetes.

Sugar is really difficult for us to resist because it has a quick high. This is why it is so common to see people drinking sugary drinks after a hard day’s work. These drinks give us a temporary energy boost which helps us to continue working or playing for longer periods of time.

However, the downside to this is that sugar has a habit of keeping us wanting more. As soon as we indulge in sugar, our brains release a dopamine signal which makes us feel good. This is why we tend to crave sugar more and more, and it becomes difficult to resist.

Another reason why it is so difficult to resist sugar is that it is often added to our food in hidden ways. For example, sugar is often added to processed foods, desserts, and sodas. Additionally, many people consume sugar through their water bottles, which can be especially harmful since we often don’t even realize how much sugar is in our beverages.

So, how can we resist sugar and avoid the negative effects it has on our bodies? One easy way is to limit our intake of processed foods and sugary drinks. Instead, we can opt for fresh, whole foods that are packed with nutrients. Additionally, we can try drinking water instead of sugary drinks, and opting for natural sweeteners like honey or agave syrup instead of refined sugar.

Difficulty in resisting sugar

It can be difficult due to a variety of reasons. These could range from a combination of psychological, biological, and societal. The taste of sugar is such that it triggers cravings. These cravings get more pronounced when you are stressed or in an emotional state. People eat sugary food or sugary drinks as a mechanism to cope with the stress in their lives. This creates an indirect dependency on it.

Slowly as we have evolved as a human race we have got a sweet tooth, a preference for anything sweet. Sugar provides a quick source of energy so as mammals we turn towards it for it. The other factor is dopamine, yes that dreaded dopaimine that we are want for quick ecstasy.

Sugar is very habit forming so regular use will make you dependent on it. In addition may cultures make you eat sugary substances for achieving success. Another factor is its wide availability. We have found new substances to extract sugar, from fruits from plants even generating it chemically.

Media and the bombardment of different ads for sugary products has made us mode dependent on them. Juices, Fizzy drinks, energy drinks you name it. Sugar contains a lot of calories but doesn’t have enough fiber or bulk to satiate us. We are not full after its consumption leading us to eat it more.

High fructose corn syrup and sucrose

High fructose corn syrup is made from corn starch and comprises 55% of fructose and 45% glucose. Fructose and sucrose are equally bad and are increasing in usage. High fructose corn syrup is very toxic. More and more of our caloric intake is being accounted for by sugar. Fructose is more dangerous than sugar itself, the primary reason being that it does not induce insulin reason inside your body. This is the reason our blood glucose doesn’t spike when we have sweeteners loaded with fructose. As you eat fructose, your insulin doesn’t go up, so your brain doesn’t know that you ate something and you eat more, causing obesity.

Why is Fructose different — it is in fruits we eat.

Fructose is present in sweet fruits and available abundantly in nature so why is it toxic when we eat it as a sweetener? It’s all about quantity. The amount we get from fruits is minimal; as it is present with all that fiber, we do not overeat it, so our intake is less from fruits. When we add it separately as sweeteners, we get that into our system in large quantities. Unlike glucose that we get from normal sugar, fructose is metabolized by the liver and converted to fat through the process of de novo lipogenesis. This reduces the oxidation of fatty acids resulting in fat accumulation. It leads to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. So, if you eat more than the liver can handle it leads to issues inside the body. Excessive buildup of fructose also causes an increase in the uric acid and inflammation inside the body leading to gout and high blood pressure. Glucose on the other hand is absorbed in the small intestine and used as energy by the cells. Excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver for future use. The liver can store unlimited amounts of glycogen.

Fructose consumption raises the VLDL, the very low-density cholesterol. Processed foods remove the fiber as it causes the food to rot. The fiber is taken out to transport and store it. As the fiber is removed, fructose is added to make it more palatable. So processed foods are the worst.

Avoid sugar if you can, if not at least limit it and check the type of sugar you are consuming. Avoid sucrose and fructose, taking in limited quantities in the form of fruits is fine as it comes with a lot of fiber. Natural sugar is better than those two, though best to avoid it.