The Dark Side of Carbs and Sugar: Health Risks You Can’t Ignore

There are many things which we consider evil and dangerous. There is, of course, Count Dracula, Darth Vader, the shark in Jaws, and The Wicked Witch of the West. But even more evil and dangerous – Sugar and Carbohydrates!

According to Harvard University, “The effects of added sugar intake — high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”

Carbohydrates and sugar affect you in multiple ways, including:

Your Mood – The occasional candy or cookie can give you a quick burst of energy (or “sugar high”) by raising your blood sugar levels fast. When your levels drop as your cells absorb the sugar, you may feel jittery and anxious (a.k.a. the dreaded “sugar crash”).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Teeth – You probably rolled your eyes at age 12, but your mother was right, candy can rot your teeth. Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar lingering in your mouth after you eat something sweet.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Joints – Studies show that sugar consumption can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Skin – Excess sugar attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and creates harmful molecules called “AGEs,” or advanced glycation end products. These molecules do exactly what they sound like they do: age your skin. They have been shown to damage collagen and elastin [protein forming the main constituent of elastic connective tissue, found especially in the skin] in your skin — protein fibers that keep your skin firm and youthful. The result? Wrinkles and saggy skin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Liver – An abundance of added sugar likely contains fructose or high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is processed in the liver and in large amounts can damage the liver. When fructose is broken down in the liver, it is transformed into fat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Heart – When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect your arteries all over your body. It causes their walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and more stiff, this stresses your heart and damages it over time. This can lead to heart disease, like heart failure, heart attacks and strokes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Pancreas – When you eat, your pancreas pumps out insulin. However, if you are eating too much sugar – your body can stop responding properly to insulin – making your pancreas have to pump out even more insulin to try and handle all the excess sugar in your body. Eventually, your overworked pancreas can break down, allowing your blood sugar levels to rise, setting you up for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Kidneys – If you have diabetes, too much sugar can lead to kidney damage. The kidneys play an important role in filtering your blood. Once blood sugar levels reach a certain amount, the kidneys start to release excess sugar into your urine. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can damage the kidneys, which prevents them from doing their job in filtering out waste in your blood. This can lead to kidney failure.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Body Weight – This probably isn’t news to you, but the more sugar you eat, the more you’ll weigh. Research shows that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages tend to weigh more — and be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes — than those who don’t.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Sexual Health – You may want to skip the dessert on date night. Sugar may impact the chain of events needed for an erection.

“One common side effect of chronically high levels of sugar in the bloodstream is that it can make men impotent,” explains Brunilda Nazario, MD, WebMD’s Lead Medical Director.

This is because it affects your circulatory system, which controls the blood flow throughout your body and needs to be working properly to get and keep an erection.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation – People with diabetes know very well that food plays a big part in their blood sugar control.

Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on the blood sugar levels, and it is for that reason we pay close attention to these when managing diabetes.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for our body, so it’s important not only to choose healthier alternatives, but also to limit how many carbohydrates you eat at any one particular meal/snack.

In an article by the British Diabetic Association it was noted that “All carbs affect blood glucose levels, so it’s important to know which foods contain carbohydrates.”

Knowing how many grams of carbohydrates are in your food will help you choose healthier foods that provide you with the nutrition you need, with the minimum number of carbs.

Carbs from vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers or celery are much better for you than carbs from cake.

And, of course, don’t overeat, even if the food is healthy.

We know cutting out sugar can be really hard at the beginning, so small practical swaps are a good starting point when you’re trying to cut down on refined sugar. Swapping sugary drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices with water, plain milk, or tea and coffee without sugar can be a good start.

You can always try low or zero-calorie sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit, to help you cut back. Cutting out added sugars can help you control your blood glucose levels and help keep your weight down.

In light of the above, the staff at Real Health Products have been researching some sugar-free and low carb dessert and snack options. It’s been hard having to try all these sweet treats, but someone had to do it. 😊

So here are our current top picks. All are available at Amazon.com and possibly at your local health and grocery stores.

Candy

Stevita  https://amzn.to/3yPkf7X For those that are into hard candy, these stevia sweetened treats are a wonderful substitute for lemon drops and similar lozenges.

Smart Sweets  https://amzn.to/3jTsqvC Think almost sugar free Swedish Fish, gummy worms, red licorice and the like. Sweetened with Monk Fruit and Allulose, only 3 grams of sugar in an entire bag – 9-10 pieces, as opposed to 4 to 6 grams in each piece of regular candy like Swedish Fish.

Lilys Chocolates  https://amzn.to/3yMK5tr A full line of delicious stevia and erythritol sweetened dark and milk chocolate bars and candies. Also, chocolate chips for baking!

Russell Stover Sugar-Free Candies  https://amzn.to/3tmXhny A large variety of sugar free (Stevia and Maltitol sweetened) chocolate caramels, mints, peanut butter cups, pecan delights as well as hard candy and more.

Ice Cream

Breyer’s Carb Smart – https://amzn.to/3n7TCJj Low carb, low sugar ice cream in a variety of flavors. There are also some delicious ice cream bars, so you don’t have to dirty a dish!

Enlightened Keto Selection – https://amzn.to/3zUMWSb  Available in pints and bars, an excellent substitute for sugar ladened confectioneries. You’ll go from 25 grams of carbohydrate per serving down to 4 or less.

Rebel – https://amzn.to/3jRwInB  Comes in 9 different flavors, all sugar free and ranging from 4 to 8 grams of carb per pint. The Mint Chip is excellent – in my humble opinion.

Walden Farms Chocolate Flavored Syrup – https://amzn.to/3zS1guM  No calories, fat, carbs, gluten or sugars of any kind and pretty tasty. Comes in Caramel too.

These suggestions should make it easier for you to reduce or eliminate sugar and carbs from your diet and help move you forward on your journey to a healthier you.