Might want to think twice before inhaling that plate of mini blueberry muffins, ladies! It seems sugar is our frenemy — at least according to new research reported by CBS News.
The average American ingests 130 pounds of sugar per year (consider us jaw-dropped), which can take a serious toll on one's health. In fact, some doctors are calling sugar a toxin because they believe sugar consumption is linked to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Say it ain't so!
According to pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, sugar intake in the good ol' USofA has gone down by 40% in favor of high fructose corn syrup, which is equally bad for you. Sigh, looks like our sweet tooth just can't catch a break!
CBS notes that recent studies show that when a person eats too much sugar, the liver converts it into fat, which leads to high cholesterol and heart disease. What’s more? Dr. Lewis Cantley told CBS that eating or drinking sugar spikes your insulin levels, which may be linked to cancer.
As evidenced in a MRI test conducted during the report, the human body wants to binge eat sugar like no tomorrow, and our brain's pleasure center ignites as soon as the sweet stuff hits our tongue. In other words, we love a sugar high, and it can be difficult to cut this irresistible sweetener out of our diets completely.
Luckily, Dr. Lustig says it's fine to eat sugar in moderation (and in combination with exercise). But what do you think, ladies? Will you cut sugar out of your diet — and more importantly, will you feed it to your kiddos?