Why you should start drinking sugar-free coffee right away (according to science)

We are used to getting a lot of added sugars in our daily diet. Here are some risks we face

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We are used to taking a lot of added sugars in our daily diet, without paying too much attention to the serious consequences for our health. Here are some of the risks we face when we over-sugar our life

Lo XNUMX/XNUMX cup sugar, as sweet on the palate as it is insidious for our health. We often abuse it, perhaps without even realizing it - for example by eating processed foods (snacks, baked goods, sauces and ready-made sauces, but also yogurt - just to give a few examples) or by drinking fruit juices or other sugary drinks. To give some examples, a cup of cereal contains 48 calories of added sugar, while a bar of chocolate contains 74 and a bottle of energizing drink as much as 122.

Other times, however, we consciously add sugar to fruit salads, coffee or tea: if we can say about hidden sugars that we have not carefully read the label of the ingredients, there is no excuse for what we add. According to nutritionists, less than 10% of our daily calorie intake should be made up of added sugars, which help increase the calories we eat, but do not provide us with essential nutrients. All this sugar is not good for our health at all and there are several reasons why we should stop artificially 'sweetening' our life in favor of a healthier and more natural diet.

It can cause weight gain. The rates of obesity around the world are growing at a frightening rate and added sugars (especially those in sugary drinks) are pointed out by experts as the biggest culprits of this phenomenon: bottled teas, fruit juices and other packaged drinks mostly contain fructose which, as this American study shows, it causes in our body an increase in the sense of hunger and the desire to take on other sugars. Furthermore, an excess of fructose can cause resistance to leptin, a hormone that regulates the stimulus of hunger and pushes us to stop eating once we reach satiety: in other words, sugary drinks, in addition to their already massive content of added sugars. , always make us hungry and push us to take in even more heat - resulting in weight gain. Recent studies have shown that people who usually consume sugary sodas are fatter than those who don't.
Increases the risk of heart disease. A diet high in sugar has been associated by experts with an increased risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular ones - which represent the first cause of death in the world: obesity, high levels of triglycerides in the blood and high blood pressure are all factors of risk to be reckoned with for heart health. A study of more than 30.000 people found that those who consumed between 17 and 21% of calories from added sugars had a 38% higher risk of dying from heart disease - compared to those who consumed only 8%. of calories from added sugars.
Increases the risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes is also one of the endemic evils of modern society, with an incidence that has practically doubled in the last 30 years: there are many reasons for its enormous spread, but the first is undoubtedly represented by an excessive consumption of added sugars. This is because prolonged consumption of foods high in sugar leads to the development of resistance to insulin - the hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels; this resistance raises blood sugar levels, putting you at risk for diabetes. A study that compared the populations of 175 countries showed that the risk of developing diabetes increases by 1,1% for every 150 calories of added sugar consumed per day (more or less a can of orange soda).

(Also Read: Type 2 Diabetes: Four Peculiar Mouth Signals, Possible High Blood Sugar Symptoms)

Your risk of depression increases. It would seem strange, because often when we feel sad or down in tone we tend to spoil ourselves with a sweet or a chocolate to lift our mood, and instead too many sugars are not good for our psychological state at all. While a healthy and balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables can improve our mood, a diet rich in processed foods and high in sugar is associated with a higher incidence of depression, this study shows. Another research, which looked at around 8.000 people over 22 years, showed that men who consumed 67 grams or more of added sugar per day were 23 percent more likely to develop depression than they did. those who consumed less than 40 grams of sugar per day.
‘Prosciuga’ le tue energy. This too might seem a paradox: if we have a rich breakfast, based on products rich in sugars (snacks, cereals, yogurt), shouldn't we feel full of energy? No because, if on the one hand the large amount of sugars we have taken in cause the blood sugar levels to splash, providing us with immediate energy, from above it is an energy that runs out very quickly, because the energy peak is soon followed. from a sharp drop in blood sugar levels. To avoid this harmful 'yo-yo effect' it would be more appropriate to have breakfast with low-sugar but high-fiber foods: for example, we could eat an apple or a handful of dried fruit to keep our energy levels constant over time.

What can we do then to reduce the intake of added sugars and lead a healthier diet? Sugar is a habit like any other: over time we have 'educated' our palate to desire sweet things, so it will be enough to re-educate it in the direction of simpler, more natural and genuine flavors. We can implement this process gradually - for example by eliminating a processed food from our cupboard every week or not buying it again once consumed. In this case, it is important to find worthy substitutes, just as 'rewarding' as the foods we have eliminated: for example, we could replace an artificial fruit juice with a homemade juice or a fresh fruit smoothie. Slowly, half a teaspoon at a time, we can also succeed in the enterprise of drinking coffee and amari tea.

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