We often get asked whether sugar is really bad for you or not. That is a difficult question to answer. We spent years going down the rabbit hole of sugar research. Learning about political influence, lobbying and industry pressure to balance costs with consumer demands.
The reason this question is difficult to answer is because the impact of sugar differs for everyone. For some people on strict sugar-free diets like Keto or diabetics, sugar needs to be eliminated or at least carefully managed.
The issue is not whether sugar is good or bad but rather the over-consumption of sugar being bad. There is no uncertainty about the negative health issues that over-consumption of sugar causes.
Consuming too much sugar can lead to a variety of health issues, including:
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Weight gain: Consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain, as it is high in calories and easy to consume in large quantities. This can increase the risk of obesity and related health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
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Tooth decay: Excess sugar intake can also lead to tooth decay, as the sugar in foods and drinks can interact with the bacteria in the mouth to produce acid that can erode tooth enamel.
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Metabolic syndrome: Consuming too much sugar can also lead to metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. This can increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): consuming too much sugar can lead to the build-up of fat in the liver, a condition known as NAFLD. This can cause inflammation and scarring in the liver, which can lead to liver damage and even liver failure.
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Cardiovascular disease: Excess sugar intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. This may be due to the effects of sugar on blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
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Skin aging: Consuming too much sugar can also lead to wrinkles and age spots on the skin, as sugar molecules can attach to collagen and elastin fibers, causing them to become stiff and lose their elasticity.
The problem is that sugar has found it's way into so many food and beverage products that it can be very difficult to moderate consumption. To make matters worse, "sugar" has many different names including sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose and high fructose corn syrup. Other forms can also come from fruit, honey, agave, etc. Some forms of sugar such as High Fructose Corn Syrup tend to be harder for our body to process.
A small amount of sugar in your overall diet for most people is a perfectly healthy and pleasurable indulgence.
One of the highest sugar density products on the market is soda. We love a nice cold soft drink but they contain a ton of sugar. If you poured yourself a 12 oz tea and added sugar, imaging scooping 10 teaspoons of sugar into the drink! That is a huge amount. They add more sugar than necessary often to counter some of the bitterness taste of artificial flavorings.
If you drink regularly sweetened soda on a daily basis, one way to dramatically reduce your overall sugar consumption is to eliminate regular sodas. The problem is that this often involves a compromise. If you are at all like us, you cringe at the taste of "diet" sugar free sodas. From artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and even natural alternatives like Stevia drinks. They just leave that lingering aftertaste that is a dead giveaway for diet drinks. Sure, there is a huge influx of sugar free drinks like flavored seltzers and fruit essence water but they don't quite satisfy as much as a soda when that is what you're craving.
That is why AlluSoda was created. To help reduce the health issues created by excessive sugar while still offering a fantastic and healthier alternative to sugar based soda. Whether you are simply on a low sugar diet or have completely eliminated sugar, we are confident you will love the taste of AlluSoda!
