Quick Summary
Sugar is everywhere, from obvious sweets to everyday foods and drinks that may contain hidden added sugars. Consuming too much sugar can contribute to weight gain, blood sugar problems, insulin resistance, and other health concerns over time. Understanding ingredient labels and recognizing the many names used for added sugar can help you make smarter food choices. Reducing sugary beverages, choosing whole foods, and paying attention to portion sizes are practical ways to lower sugar intake. Learn how sugar affects your body and take simple steps toward healthier habits and overall wellness.
Every day, we are exposed to an additive in our food and drink that is as toxic to the liver as alcohol.
While the FDA has some nonbinding ideas and opinions about labeling, there are no actual laws which regulate this substance. It is eight times more addictive than cocaine, and much of it is found in products designed for and marketed to our children.
It goes by 61 different names, but we all know it best as sugar. Yep, this seemingly innocuous sweetener is in nearly everything we put in our mouths, and it is killing us.
While some of the claims about sugar addiction and its effects have evolved with newer research, consuming too much added sugar is clearly associated with several health concerns. Understanding where added sugars appear in your diet is an important first step.
We took an in-depth look at the negative side effects of sugar in our diets; what it is, and how excessive sugar intake can affect long-term health.
Here is what you should know about sugar addiction, hidden sugars, and the effects of consuming too much added sugar.
Sugar Is Everywhere
We all know where to find sugar in our foods — or do we?
Obvious choices like ice cream, candy, and other desserts are usually what comes to mind when we think about sugary foods.
While we may not subsist entirely on candy and other sweets, the average American eats around 22 teaspoons of sugar per day; a stark contrast to the recommended amount of 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men.
22 teaspoons works out to 77 lbs of sugar a year.
The bigger concern is that added sugar can appear in everyday foods and drinks that do not taste like desserts.
The thing is, we often don’t think about how much sugar is in the everyday stuff we put in our bodies.
We came up with a sample of what the everyday working American might eat, and took a look at the sugar content for that day’s worth of food.
- For breakfast, some granola (18g) with vanilla yogurt (17g).
- Starbucks on the way to work for a grande soy Chai Latte (43g).
- For lunch, hit McDonald’s for a chicken sandwich (5g) and a Coke (40g).
- Slam a Monster energy drink (54g) to get through the rest of the workday.
- Pop a Stouffer’s single-serve lasagna (8g) in the oven for supper.
- Unwind with a couple glasses of wine (2.8g) before bed.
It doesn’t seem like a lot of food, right?
The grand total came out to 188g of sugar. That’s a whopping 38 teaspoons — almost double the average amount consumed!
Grams and teaspoons can seem a bit abstract, so for perspective, a single packet of sugar is one gram. 188 packets of sugar is about 2 boxes of sugar packets.
Yikes.
This example also highlights why reading nutrition labels matters. Total sugar includes naturally occurring sugar and added sugar, so the ingredient list and added-sugar line can offer useful context.
Hidden Sugars
Just as there are sugars in foods we don’t consider to be sweets, there is also sugar in foods marketed as healthy.
A bowl of Muesli has twice as much sugar as a bowl of Fruit Loops, a bottle of Light Ranch dressing has twice as much sugar as regular Ranch, and a Cliff bar has the same amount of sugar as two Pop Tarts!
Dried fruit seems healthy, but a 1/3 cup has 24g of sugar, and not all of that is natural sugar either — a look at the box usually shows sugar as the second ingredient.
Even a slice of seeded whole-grain bread has about a teaspoon of sugar.
Other common foods that are full of sugar include barbeque sauce, ketchup, teriyaki sauce, non-dairy creamer, milk, beer, and instant noodle seasonings.
Common sources of added sugar can also include sweetened cereals, flavored coffee drinks, packaged snacks, sports drinks, sodas, and many processed foods.
When comparing products, look at the nutrition facts panel and ingredient list. Ingredients are listed by weight, so sugars appearing near the beginning of the list can indicate a significant amount of added sugar.
Fat vs Sugar
One of the great debates of our time is what is making us fat and unhealthy.
At first glance, it would seem that if you eat a bunch of fat, you’re going to gain a bunch of fat.
This has led to a number of “lite” options for many of the foods we enjoy, such as yogurt, dressing, cheese, and sauces.
However, the manufacturers simply replace the fat with sugar to fill the flavor void.
Sugar translates into carbohydrates, and carbs, if not burned off quickly, get stored in the body as fat.
Low-carb and ketogenic diets perfectly exemplify how a high-fat diet can not only be healthful; it can actually burn fat and cause rapid weight loss.
However, nutrition is more complex than simply categorizing fat or carbohydrates as “good” or “bad.” Excess calories from any macronutrient can contribute to weight gain. Added sugars are particularly easy to overconsume because they can add substantial calories without offering much nutritional value.
Rather than focusing on eliminating an entire food group, a balanced diet should emphasize nutrient-dense foods while limiting excess added sugar.
What Sugar Does to Our Bodies
How exactly does our body respond to sugar? After all, don’t we need sugar in our blood to function?
Well, yes, we do…to a point.
Sugar is a carbohydrate, which helps supply your body with energy. All your cells use it. But sugar is also a calorie. Too many calories, as we know, means weight gain. And too many calories from sugar can also cause insulin spikes, heart disease, kidney failure, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer.
The negative effects of sugar are most concerning when added sugars are consumed in excess over time. High intake is associated with increased risks of weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dental problems.
In order to understand why sugar is so dangerous, we have to understand how it affects our bodies. Eating sugar triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine. This is the same chemical released when we drink alcohol, use drugs, or have sex.
Since whole foods like fruits or veggies don’t cause as much dopamine to be released, they aren’t as satisfying. This is why we reach for a candy bar for an afternoon snack instead of, say, a bag of celery.
Sugar can activate reward pathways in the brain, which may contribute to cravings and make highly palatable foods difficult to resist. However, describing sugar as more addictive than cocaine oversimplifies the evidence.
Once we’ve bombarded our system with sugar, the body gets to work on converting it into usable energy. To do this, your pancreas releases insulin. Too much sugar can contribute to insulin resistance and increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes when consumed as part of an overall diet that consistently exceeds the body’s energy needs.
Over time, excessive added-sugar intake can also contribute to weight gain and metabolic problems. These effects are influenced by overall diet, physical activity, genetics, sleep, and other lifestyle factors.
All of this damage is adding up — 40 percent of American adults and nearly 20 percent of adolescents are obese — the highest rates ever recorded for the U.S.
A Sweetener By Any Other Name
Being label-conscious about sugar in your food is the first step toward reducing excess added sugar in your diet.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to do that when you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Here’s a list of the most common aliases that you should keep an eye out for when making food choices:
- Agave nectar
- Barley malt
- Brown rice syrup
- Cane crystals
- Cane juice
- Caramel
- Carob syrup
- Corn sweetener
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Crystalline fructose
- Dextrose
- Evaporated cane juice
- Fructose
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Glucose
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Malt syrup
- Molasses
- Rice bran syrup
- Rice syrup
- Sorghum
- Sorghum syrup
- Sucrose
- Syrup
- Turbinado
These ingredients can contribute to total sugar intake, although naturally occurring sugars in foods such as fruit and milk are different from added sugars.
Even sugar alternatives like Splenda or Stevia have sugars in them — maltodextrin is often used as a clumping agent to give the product a granulated texture, and it can be found in a lot of zero-calorie drinks.
Sugar substitutes are not the same as added sugars, and products can contain different ingredients depending on the formulation. Check the nutrition facts and ingredient list rather than assuming every sweetener has the same nutritional effect.
Also, don’t be fooled by things like coconut sugar, raw sugar, beet sugar, and so on.
While these may sound like natural and healthy sources, they are still forms of added sugar and should be consumed in moderation.
The Negative Effects of Sugar: Dangerous Down To The Bone
Believe it or not, overconsumption of sugar can even cause your bones to break down. Some of the consequences of bone deterioration include fractures and subluxations, as well as impaired joint mobility.
The relationship between diet and bone health is complex. Rather than claiming that sugar directly causes bones to “break down,” it is more accurate to note that diets high in added sugar may displace nutrient-rich foods and can contribute to poorer overall diet quality.
If your body is already carrying around extra weight from a diet high in sugars, the added strain on your joints can also affect mobility and comfort. The list of potential negative effects of sugar just doesn’t seem to end, but it doesn’t have to continue affecting your health.
How Much Added Sugar Is Too Much?
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 6 teaspoons per day for most women and 9 teaspoons per day for most men. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping added sugars below 10% of total daily calories.
You do not need to eliminate every source of sugar from your diet. A practical approach is to reduce sugary drinks, compare nutrition labels, choose whole foods more often, and pay attention to portion sizes.
How To Reduce Sugar Intake
If you are concerned about sugar addiction or regularly crave sweet foods, small changes can make your diet easier to manage.
- Replace sugary drinks with water or unsweetened beverages.
- Choose plain yogurt and add fresh fruit for sweetness.
- Compare nutrition labels when buying packaged foods.
- Choose whole fruit instead of fruit-flavored snacks or drinks.
- Keep highly sugary snacks out of your usual routine.
- Build meals around vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and other nutrient-dense foods.
If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, or another health condition affected by your diet, speak with your healthcare professional before making major dietary changes.
The Good News
Ready for some good news? You don’t have to put up with any of these unpleasant ailments caused by the negative effects of sugar for any longer!
Making gradual changes to your diet can help reduce added sugar and build healthier habits. At Elite Spine & Health Center, our team can also help you address musculoskeletal concerns through personalized chiropractic care focused on mobility, comfort, and overall wellness.
Call or email us today to book an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar Addiction and the Negative Effects of Sugar
Sugar can contribute to strong cravings and reward-driven eating, particularly when consumed through highly processed foods. However, researchers continue to debate whether sugar meets the clinical definition of an addictive substance.
Excess added sugar can contribute to weight gain, tooth decay, elevated blood sugar, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Check the nutrition facts panel for “Added Sugars” and review the ingredient list. Added sugars can appear under names such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, honey, molasses, and cane sugar.
No. Whole fruit contains naturally occurring sugar along with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. The health concerns around excess sugar generally focus on added sugars and highly processed foods.
Start by reducing sugary beverages and checking labels on packaged foods. Choosing whole foods, unsweetened options, and smaller portions can also help lower added-sugar intake.
Yes. Added sugars can contribute substantial calories to the diet. Regularly consuming more calories than your body uses can contribute to weight gain.
