You don’t have to have a sweet tooth to know that sugar is omnipresent in modern diets. Nowadays—whether announcing its presence loudly or lurking covertly—sugar is in everything. And, when consumed in excess, it can cause a number of unwanted health issues. “Excess sugar has very addictive properties,” says Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist and the founder of Artah. “It activates opiate receptors, then we experience a surge of dopamine, which lights up the reward and pleasure centers in the brain—these are associated with addictive behavior and are also activated by things like gambling and cocaine.”
A feel-good physiological mechanism, when we do get our sugar fix, we are likely to experience feelings of alertness, happiness, and/or comfort. When we don’t, we may experience cravings, the urge to binge and/or feel withdrawal symptoms, such as agitation, anxiety and headaches. “Physically, it can lead to glucose disregulation [or imbalanced blood sugar], and hyperinsulinemia, inflammation, impaired immunity and more.”
How sugar impacts the body and mind
“Sugar triggers a cascade of inflammatory reactions in the body and skin,” says nutritionist Lola Ross. “When we eat sugary foods or refined carbohydrates, it causes a spike in blood glucose levels, then the pancreas produces insulin to circulate sugars to be used as energy in our cells. Diets that are chronically high in sugary foods can lead to insulin resistance, a state where blood sugar becomes poorly managed in the body.” Insulin resistance can lead to health issues such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes, so it’s definitely something to avoid.
Regular intake of excessive sugar doesn’t only contribute to imbalanced blood sugar levels (which can cause mood issues, fatigue, diminished cognitive function, PCOS and more). “Chronic high sugar intake also causes inflammation in the body,” Ross explains. “Inflammation is closely linked to heart disease, mood disorders and colon, breast, prostate, and other cancers.” Not to mention the fact that it has also led to a global obesity issue, and can trigger hormonal disorders that can affect fertility.
If the myriad health consequences weren’t alarming enough, excessive sugar intake also impacts the health and appearance of our skin. In a process called “glycation”, sugars attach to cellular proteins and degrade our collagen stores—otherwise known as the building blocks of good skin—which can create a sagging, overly-wrinkled and sallow complexion.
Our bodies are simply not designed to contend with huge amounts of sugar. “Our palaeolithic ancestors were thought to consume around 20 teaspoons of sugar a year whereas today, with added sugars being so ubiquitous in our food systems, the average American consumes around 53 teaspoons a day,” Ross points out. While exclusionary diets are never recommended, when it comes to sugar, experts agree that cutting down on added and unnatural forms of sugar—not fruit—would do us all good in the long term.
The difference between eating fruit and unnatural sugar
According to Stephenson, one of the most important things we need to understand about ingesting unnatural forms of sugar, as opposed to something like fruit, is how it makes its way into the body. “When we eat an apple, for example, the sugar is accompanied by fiber, polyphenols, and vitamin C, which slow the rate of absorption and blunt the fructose response,” she explains. “When we eat ultra-processed foods, which contain modified and concentrated forms of sugar, the rate of delivery into our system is far greater, and this can have catastrophic effects.”
Food companies, she says, want their food to be hyper-palatable so that we eat more than we actually need—this means they sell more food and their profits stack up. “It works,” warns Stephenson. “It’s hijacking our biochemistry.”
What about hidden sugars?
An added layer of confusion? Hidden sugars. Yes, most of us know that doughnuts and chocolate are full of sugar, but those big food companies also lace many of their other, less obvious foodstuffs with sugars. If you follow Professor Tim Spector on Instagram, you’ll know that he believes it’s these forms of sugar that are the most pernicious—since many of us don’t actually know they are there, it’s even more difficult for us to manage and reduce our intake.
How to reduce your sugar intake
First thing’s first: Understand that even savory foods can be sugar-laden, so choose what you eat accordingly.
When shopping for supermarket food that comes wrapped in plastic or a container, always make sure you read the label. “Learning the names of hidden sugars is crucial, too—sugar has many names and can often be missed or misunderstood on labels,” says Ross. “Syrups, honey, high fructose corn syrup, agave, juice concentrate, and ingredients that end in ‘ose’, like sucrose, are all sugars, and usually have the same effect on our blood sugar as white or raw cane sugar.”
If it sounds confusing, try the food product bar code scanning app, YUKA, which Ross rates as a really useful way to quickly understand the sugar content of a product and whether it’s classed as healthy or unhealthy. “As a general gauge, look for products which have less than 5 grams per 100 grams,” she says.
As with any addictive substance, it can be difficult to eat sugar in moderation, so while some are able to cut down their intake, others may find it easier to give it up entirely. Wherever you land on this subject, the trick to reducing it is to replace it with “natural, vitamin and mineral-rich foods that can help satisfy the sweet taste,” says Stephenson. “Keep eating fruit and root vegetables, which are naturally sweet, and can also help increase your fibre and protein intake. Fiber and protein can help improve satiety and reduce hunger, which is important as you try to reduce sugar.”
Ross also suggests eating enough B vitamins “from foods like dark leafy greens, whole grains, eggs or nutritional yeast,” and adding in a B complex supplement to help support energy production. She also cites chromium and berberine as two minerals that can have positive effects on blood sugar regulation.
Be aware that withdrawal symptoms—such as headaches, anxiety and irritability—may affect you, so ensure you’re well hydrated and incorporating gentle movement into your days to boost your endorphins. Once you start reducing refined sugars from your daily diet, your blood sugar will become more balanced and you’ll find the energy dips—which often cause cravings and the need to refuel—start to disappear. Cravings will quickly start to diminish, so avoiding sugar will get easier and easier.
The moral of the tale
It doesn’t have to be the end of cake and sweet treats as you know them, it’s just time that we all question the way we currently eat and cook our food. Stephenson’s advice is clear: “We all need to pay extra attention to bread, cereals, bars and ‘snack’ foods,” she adds. “But generally, the more we cook at home, the more control we have over what we’re eating, so taking a step towards more freshly prepared meals using single ingredient foods is another great place to start.”
Healthy (and genuinely delicious) desserts can be easily made at home—check out Stephenson’s recipe for a mouthwatering mousse cake for proof. “You can make incredible desserts with raw cacao, avocado, dates or other natural ingredients, plus you can also make more traditional cakes, adding more fibre, protein and less sugar than normal by modifying the recipe,” she says. Other tasty sweet treats include homemade or low-sugar fruit sorbets, cinnamon-poached pears with unsweetened vanilla coconut yoghurt and nut-based slices, says Ross.
“If you do eat pudding out, try to minimize the impact it will have on your blood sugar by starting your meal with vegetables and a decent amount of protein,” advises Stephenson. Studies have also shown that going for a brisk walk afterwards can help blunt postprandial glucose spikes.
Even the most passionate sweet tooth can reduce their sugar intake—and trust me, it will make you feel better. As excess sugar exits your system, you’ll experience newfound joy in eating a tomato or some melon (both of which are naturally sweet), and begin to rediscover the beauty of flavour.