Sugar is common in every household, and it is used in most of our favourite food items. It is present in sweet delicacies, including sugar-filled chocolates, creamy cakes, mouth-watering sweets and even cold drinks. Now, most of us have our cravings and indulging in them once in a while shouldn’t be a problem.
However, if we consume it on a regular basis, it can be extremely harmful to our health. It is important to reduce sugar intake and consider starting a sugar-free diet. Now, a sugar-free diet might initially seem like a preposterous idea, but let’s understand the effects of sugar on our health and perhaps using sugar substitutes can help us start a sugar-free diet
The effects of sugar on our health
Sugar is sweet on the tongue but not so sweet for our health. Regular consumption of sugar can be very harmful to our health. Here are some of the most common concerns that one might experience due to sugar consumption –
Causes obesity
Sugar contains no major nutrients. This means that it does not contain proteins, vitamins, minerals, or good fats. It only provides taste and carbs. As a result, people who consume sugar in large amounts usually gain weight because it is just empty calories.
Obesity is further a cause of chronic health issues. Moreover, it hinders an individual’s ability to stay active and further reduces confidence. So, obesity is easily a major concern of regular sugar consumption.
Causes chronic health conditions
Excessive sugar consumption causes inflammation and an increase in bad cholesterol levels leading to major health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, liver disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Diabetes is one of the most common health conditions associated with sugar. It occurs when our body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels. Type 2 Diabetes often occurs when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin and when the body stops responding to insulin. While Type 2 Diabetes can occur due to multiple reasons, one of the most common observations is the presence of high blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
Sugar can further increase triglyceride levels, leading to the thickening of artery walls, becoming a major cause of heart stroke, heart attack, and other major heart diseases. Furthermore, excessive sugar consumption can also lead to liver damage. Now, alcohol consumption is usually thought to be the main cause of liver disease. However, sugar can be equally dangerous due to the excessive accumulation of fatty acids leading to Non-alcoholic Fatty Acid Liver disease.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more harmful health conditions that an individual may experience due to the regular consumption of sugar.
Leads to bad dental health
We’ve been warned not to eat too many chocolates since our childhood. Well, it’s not just chocolate, but all our favourite sweet items because they contain fermentable carbohydrates (including sugars, both naturally occurring and added) that can increase the risk of cavities. Now, if we are not careful about maintaining dental health, it can come back to cause a lot of pain in the future.
Therefore, limiting sugar consumption and taking proper care of our dental health is necessary. But that’s not the only problem that regular consumption of sugar causes. Apparently, sugar addiction is yet another worrying factor for most individuals.
Sugar addiction
Sugar addiction is the psychological dependence on food items containing sugar. When we consume a food item containing sugar, our brains release opioids and dopamine in our bodies. Now, dopamine is the reward or pleasure hormone in our body. So, every time we get a sugar rush, it is mostly to satiate the sugar addiction.
These are some of the most harmful effects of sugar on our health. But what are the best ways to reduce sugar consumption?
How to reduce sugar from our diet?
The most common way is to completely avoid food items that contain sugar. Many individuals attempt to go on a sugar-free diet, usually, fail and revert back to old eating habits. At the same time, other individuals who’re addicted to sugar may experience withdrawal symptoms. So, going completely sugarless might be hard initially.
Another possible solution is to regulate the consumption of our favourite sweets or have them only during a cheat meal. But regulation might also be hard, and most of us usually give in to the temptations of relishing our favourite mouth-watering food items.
Now, another possible way is to use sugar substitutes. This allows us to consume our favourite dishes without worrying about sugar. One of the best sugar substitutes is brought to you by QNET’s Nutriplus Natose Liquid Stevia, a healthy alternate to avoid sugar without compromising on the taste.
Switch to a sugar-free diet with Nutriplus Natose Stevia by QNET
Nutriplus Natose Stevia is a very healthy alternative to sugar. It is a natural sweetener made from the liquid extract of Stevia plant leaves. Stevia is up to 40 times sweeter than sugar but has zero calories. Just a few drops of stevia can sweeten the taste of our favourite food items and beverages.
In addition, it is ideal for weight management as it provides no calories and a minimal amount of carbs to keep us on top of our fitness goals. Furthermore, it is the perfe