Is it really possible to get addicted to sugar? The average american consumes an amazing 2-3 pounds of sugar per week! In the last 20 years, sugar consumption in the US increased from 26 lbs per year to an astonishing 135 lbs per per year per person! It shouldn't come as a surprise because sugar is being processed into breads, breakfast cereal, peanut butter, soft drinks, and for the most part majority of the food products you can buy on a typical american grocery store.
Sugar has been around for a very long time but it is very rare in nature. It was not until recent developments in transportation, agriculture, and refinement technologies has been sugar so readily available. Too readily available in fact and it is now everywhere and in everything. Sugar sells and it sells incredibly well. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and turned to glucose which fuels our brain and muscles. Every time we eat sugar, our blood sugar goes up and insulin is released to absorb the sugar. However, this "high" does not last and soon we crave for another hit. For majority of us, sugar is our "comfort food" and we are predisposed to seek it wherever we can find it. We are addicted and we must buy it.
A paper published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2009 titled Sugar and Fat Bingeing Have Notable Differences in Addictive-Like Behavior showed that sugar affects the brain chemistry and thus might be "expected" to cause addictive behavior. It also showed that sugar bingeing can cause withdrawal symptoms and cravings comparable to the effects of drug abuse.
Our bodies are not equipped to handle so much sugar and over consumption over time, can lead to a host of dreaded diseases like insulin resistance, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. As it turns out, ingesting too much sugar is not so sweet for your health. So cut back on soft drinks, cakes, cookies, and pies and add years to your life!
Easier said than done of course as many of us have a sweet tooth. Fortunately for us, nature has give us an excellent sweetener!
Coconut sugar is an excellent sugar substitute! Coconut sugar is full of nutrients and vitamins and is classified as low glycemic food. Although moderation is still best, natural sugars are still better alternatives to artificial sweeteners that contain toxic chemicals which may or may not pose potential health risks. Why take the chance? Switch to coconut sugar - a perfect natural sugar substitute!
