We’ve talked a lot about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. We’ve also discussed the issues with drinking your calories and the damage sugar-sweetened beverages pose to your overall health because of their rapid absorption.
It’s beyond time to get serious about sugar reduction. From 1995 to 2010 the rate of diabetes increased 82% among adults. The Southern states fared the worst. Oklahoma jumped 226%, Kentucky rose 158%, Georgia up 145%, Alabama up 140%, and Appalachian states like West Virginia increased 131%. We knew diabetes is a result of sugar consumption, and know it’s tied to prostate cancer too, cofirmed by Swedish researchers in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Studying 8,128 men over a 15-year period, men who drank just a soda a day or other drinks with added sugar saw a 40% increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer. Other non-liquid sugars were implicated as well, but surprisingly, at less of an increased risk.
Men who ate diets heavy in rice and pasta saw a 31% increased risk, and those who ate a high intake of sugary breakfast cereals raised their risk to 38%.
Simply put, we’re getting too much sugar in all its forms. First step, dump the liquid calories. Second, leave behind the refined sugars, flours, and grains and opt for whole-food versions.
For your own health and your loved ones, please, avoid refined sugars in all its forms.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6145.pdf
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/site/misc/release1.xhtml#esha
