We eat far too many foods these days that bombard our bodies with added and often hidden sugars. There is now scientific consensus that too much sugar makes us ill. Here we reveal why we should generally avoid added sugar and what advantages a sugar-free diet has for our health.
Very few people would like to give up sugar voluntarily. Just thinking about chocolate, cakes, pastries and delicious juices makes our mouths water. As happy as sugar makes us, we really need to reconsider our excess sugar consumption. Too much sugar makes us sick. Diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases are due to poor diets with too much sugar.
Reason enough to take a closer look at sugar-free diets. With a sugar-free diet, only foods that contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams should be consumed. This is the most important basic knowledge about a sugar-free diet: Sugar, which naturally occurs in low concentrations in food, can continue to be eaten. Sugar-free and low-sugar foods include these:
- beef
- fish
- chicken meat
- Owner
- whole grain products
- vegetables
- nuts
- milk and cheese
- Fats, butter and pure oils
While many fruits contain fructose, which is one of many natural forms of sugar, you can’t be more papal than the Pope when it comes to sugar-free diets. Because although you also consume seven grams of sugar with, for example, 100 grams of fresh strawberries, the fructose here comes in combination with valuable content such as fiber, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and potassium. So the sugar-free diet is not about doing without and self-denial, but simply about avoiding the harmful extra portions of added sugar. The benefits of sugar-free foods and a sugar-free diet are obvious.
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Benefits of a sugar-free diet
1. The complexion improves
If you eat a low-sugar or even sugar-free diet for several weeks, you will notice an improvement in the appearance of your skin. Sugar causes our insulin levels to rise. High levels of insulin in the body, in turn, cause what experts call inflammatory stress. The collagen deposits of our skin are attacked by micro-inflammation. As a result, the skin ages, becomes uneven and more prone to breakouts and inflammatory pimples. If you want to have beautiful skin, you should rely on sugar-free foods.
2. Your energy balance stabilizes
Consuming sugary foods has an almost immediate effect on blood sugar levels, which skyrocket. Once the body has processed the sugar, the blood sugar level drops again. Throughout the day, the blood sugar level, and with it our energy, constantly fluctuates up and down. This wild roller coaster ride of blood sugar highs and lows exhausts and tires us. Those who rely on sugar-free foods can benefit from a constant energy level during the day, are more balanced, fitter and refreshed.
3. You will lose weight in a healthy way
The renunciation of additional sugar will primarily have a positive effect on smaller or larger love handles. If your body can no longer generate energy from carbohydrates such as sugar, it must inevitably attack the fat reserves. Anyone who eats a sugar-free diet will lose weight in the medium and long term. Due to the constant blood sugar levels, there are also no food cravings, which we use to gain unwanted pounds.
4. Your teeth stay healthier
Sugar is one of the biggest threats to your dental health. Eating too much sugar in your diet puts you at risk of developing tooth decay. Bacteria that are native to the oral flora metabolize carbohydrates such as sugar to lactic acid. This attacks the protective tooth enamel and eats deep holes in the tooth. On the other hand, if you avoid sugary foods, your dental health will improve quickly. Another positive effect of healthy teeth: a radiant smile and more self-confidence.
5. Your brain stays healthy
Too much sugar consumption has negative effects on our brains. Although we need energy-rich food for cognitive performance, the brain regularly gets too large doses of sugar, and performance and memory skills decrease. Studies are already examining the connection between cognitive deficits and a diet high in sugar . It has already been observed in animal experiments that the orientation and memory performance of rats with excessive sugar consumption decreased. By cutting out sugar, you’re not only doing your waistline a huge favor, you’re also doing your brain a huge favor.
6. You sleep better
Sugar serves our bodies as a source of energy. If we consume sugary foods, the blood sugar level rises, insulin is released and our body works at full speed to metabolize the sugar consumed into energy. This state of high metabolic activity has a negative impact on our sleep. The sugar energy that keeps us alert and alert during the day robs us of sleep at night. Researchers have already observed the connection between sleep disorders and sugar consumption . The quality of sleep and the duration of the deep sleep phase are also affected by sugar. Eating sugary fruit in the evening in particular can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.
7. Your blood pressure drops
There is still a lot of scientific research going on, but some studies indicate that too much sugar, like too much salt, causes blood pressure to rise. Researchers at Louisiana State University found that blood pressure dropped in subjects who avoided sweetened beverages like soda. The exact relationship between sugar and high blood pressure needs to be further investigated. What is certain, however, is that obesity promotes high blood pressure. A high-sugar diet is the main reason for overweight and obesity. So if you do without sugar, you can at least indirectly improve your blood pressure through a normal weight.
