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Phillip Isaac

Jim Roth

English 102

6/10/17

The effects of sugar

Does the excessive consumption of sugar contribute to many of the diseases that plague our culture? As Americans we could use some improvement in our diet. The excessive consumption of sugar is one of the biggest issues we face; we consume huge amounts of sugar each day. The consequences of such actions are often cavities, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Sugar is not the problem in our culture; it is added sugar. There is natural sugar inside of fruits and milk and then there is the refined sugar that is in doughnuts and other pastries. The refined sugar is the one that can damage our bodies. Therefore we should be aware of our sugar intake each day; because if we do not, there will be consequences.

One of the most commonly known effects of sugar is the formation of cavities. Most people know that eating too much sugar can result in tooth decay and decrease the quality of their teeth. What most people don’t know is that even a little amount of sugar can help cause cavities. How does this happen? According to a leading scientist in the field, “After eating sugar, particularly sucrose, and even within minutes of brushing your teeth, sticky glycoproteins (combination of carbohydrate and protein molecule) adhere to the teeth to start the formation of

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plaque” (Ophardt). This plaque can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Even after a person brushes his teeth, he is still in danger of getting a cavity.

The effects of sugar go far beyond those of just tooth decay and cavities; they can affect the heart as well. Added sugar consumption can increase the chance of getting cardiovascular disease (accessdata). This disease blocks a person’s arteries and can lead to a heart attack and/or a stroke. The effects of heart disease can be devastating on families and individuals alike. People can combat this disease by eating less sugar and instead eating more nutrient dense foods like vegetables and meat (accessdata). Instead of eating a donut or drinking a coke, replace them with fruit and a glass of water.

There are many studies that have shown a link between sugar consumption and heart disease. One of these studies stated that “over the course of the 15-year study on added sugar and heart disease, participants who took in 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar” (Corliss). The likelihood of getting heart disease doubled when they consumed at least a quarter of their daily intake of calories as sugar. To put this into perspective, the FDA guidelines for sugar consumption states that “Most Americans… consume more than 13% of [their] total calories (or almost 270 calories) per day from added sugars” (accessdata). While 13% is less than a quarter of the calories eaten each day, it could still alarmingly increase the chance of heart disease. Unfortunately our culture is so obsessed with sugar consumption that excessive eating of sugar seems normal.

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Another problem that can be caused by an excessive consumption of sugar is obesity. This does not necessarily happen just because we eat some sugar each day; it mainly occurs due to an excessive consumption of sugary foods and drinks. Soft drinks are a leading problem with obesity today. According to the center for disease control and prevention,

…the key to weight management is balancing calories consumed with calories expended through physical activity. However, this research review suggests that people do not compensate for the calories they consume from beverages by reducing their caloric intake from other sources. People can reduce their caloric intake by reducing their consumption of caloric beverages or by substituting lower-calorie beverages for sugar-sweetened beverages.

Americans should drink fewer sugary drinks and drink water instead. This will increase our overall health and reduce weight.

Not only can excessive sugar consumption lead to obesity, it can lead to diabetes. According to a study done by Stanford University, “For every additional 150 calories of sugar available per person per day, the prevalence of diabetes in the population rose 1 percent.” They also mentioned that a 12-ounce can of soda has 150 calories of sugar in it (Digitale). Drinking just one can of soda per day can increase the chance of diabetes by one percent. Combine this with all the other processed foods that we eat and the chance for diabetes is raised alarmingly high.

Now that we know about some of the problems that sugar can cause, how can we avoid these problems? Unfortunately sugar is in everything these days. A good way to avoid sugar is to

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avoid soda and other sugary drinks. Drink water instead of soda and eat fewer sugar-filled foods. Take time to look at the list of ingredients and eat more vegetables and meat. If everyone did this, it would increase overall health and reduce these diseases around the country.

The effects of excessive sugar consumption are real. We need to take this into account as we live our daily lives. We need to eat less sugar and increase the amount of vegetables and fruits we eat. Old habits are hard to break, but our improved health will be worth the sacrifice. So the next time you want a doughnut, instead, resist the urge and grab a piece of fruit instead.

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Works cited

accessdata, www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/sugars.html. Accessed June 10, 2017.

Corliss Julie. “Eating Too Much Added Sugar Increases the Risk of Dying With Heart Disease”. Harvard Heart Letter. Harvard, 06 February 2014, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-201402067021. Accessed June 10, 2017.

Digitale Erin. “Quantity of sugar in food supply linked to diabetes rates, researcher says”. Stanford, 27 February 2013. N.P. med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2013/02/quantity-of-sugar-in-food-supply-linked-to-diabetes-rates-researcher-says.html. Accessed June 11, 2017.

Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Research to Practices Series No. 3: “Does Drinking Beverages with Added Sugars Increase the Risk of Overweight?” Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006. www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/r2p_sweetend_beverages.pdf. Accessed June 10, 2017

Ophardt E. Charles. “Sugar and Tooth Decay”. elmherst, 2003, www.chemistry.elmhurst.edu/vchembook/548toothdecay.html. Accessed June 10, 2017.