Why you shouldn't reach for the sugary drinks when the sun is out!

We all know that sugar is bad for for our teeth but how tempting it is to reach for a sugary drink during this hot weather. However it's worth bearing in mind that sugar is having a far greater harmful effect on our bodies than we realise, it affects our metabolism and contributes to all sorts of diseases.

Here are 10 disturbing reasons why you should avoid added sugar like the plague:

1. Sugar contains a lot of calories, with no essential nutrients. It also causes tooth decay by feeding the harmful bacteria in the mouth.
2. For people who are inactive and eat a Western diet, large amounts of fructose from added sugars get turned into fat in the liver.
3. Excess fructose gets turned into fat, which can lodge in the liver and cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
4. When people eat a lot of sugar it can cause resistance to the hormone insulin, which can contribute to many diseases.
5. Because of the harmful effects of sugar on the function of insulin, it is a leading driver of type II diabetes.
6. There is considerable evidence that sugar (due to its harmful effects on our metabolism) can contribute to cancer.
7. Fructose doesn’t lower the hunger hormone nearly as much as glucose.
8. Because sugar causes a large release of dopamine in the brain, it can cause addiction in a lot of people.
9. Because of the effects of sugar on hormones and the brain, sugar dramatically increases the risk of becoming overweight or obese.
10. Sugar raises your cholesterol and gives you heart disease.

With this in mind perhaps it is not surprising that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reduced the recommended daily consumption of sugar from 50g to 25g. That is only 5 teaspoons per day and one can of regular Coke has 7 spoonfuls in it.

If you want to live a longer life with more of your own teeth - and who wouldn’t? Why not start by checking what's in the food you're eating and what it is you're drinking. Just a few minutes checking your food labels and choosing a glass of water could add years to your life.

Stay sugar smart this summer with Life Dental & Wellbeing

Chrissy Still

24 Jul 2018