Eating sugar affects the natural balance of hormones, increases levels of glucose in the bloodstream, and causes the body to store more fat. 

If you are trying to lose weight, if you feel sluggish and have brain fog, or suffer with unclear skin; or if you are diagnosed with any of the big ones: heart disease, diabetes, cancer – then noticing your sugar intake, and where it’s coming from, is a smart start.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food producers to list all ingredients in their foods. Added sugar comes in many forms – which is why it’s so hard to find on the ingredients label. There are at least 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels.

How many are you familiar with?

Using brain-scanning technology, scientists at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse were among the first to show that sugar causes changes in peoples’ brains similar to those in people addicted to drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. These changes are linked to a heightened craving for more sugar.  Research also shows that, for some people, eating sugar produces characteristics of craving and withdrawal; along with chemical changes in the brain’s reward center, the limbic region.

Do you eat sugar when you are feeling emotional, vulnerable, sad, lonely, frustrated, overwhelmed? How about when you are Happy?

Sugar calls to you. It whispers in your ear that it will make you feel better. But in reality you get caught up in the cycle of => not sleeping well -> small mistakes at work -> difficulty with focus behind the wheel -> procrastination or the inability to stay focused -> low energy or mood swings => ….. (define your personal cycle here)

We tend to think that added sugar is mainly found in desserts like cookies and cakes, but it’s also found in many savory foods, such as bread and pasta sauce. Some foods promoted as “natural” or “healthy” are also laden with added sugars, compounding the confusion.

You alone are not to blame.

SugarScience.org and I are here to help you learn more about your relationship with sugar, and how to have a healthy one.

SugarScience.org is designed as an authoritative source for the scientific evidence about sugar and its impact on health. The goal of SugarScience is to take this information out of medical journals and make it available to the public, to help individuals and communities make healthy choices.

The SugarScience Team is unified by a commitment to sharing the latest research on sugar and its impact on health in a clear and transparent way with an overarching and ambitious public mission of “advancing health worldwide.”

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