We all know that sugar is high in caloric value and that eating too much of it can cause us to gain weight; however, consuming those empty calories isn’t the only reason to keep sugar at a minimum. New studies show that sugar can actually cause a rise in cholesterol levels, can accelerate premature aging and even has the potential to increase one’s risk for developing certain types of cancer. The chemistry and physiology of sugar (and the molecular make-up and types of glucose, fructose, dextrose, and others) is too complex to explain in this short article, but suffice it to say that the bottom line is no matter what they call it, consuming too much (simple) sugar is undoubtedly one of the major causes of obesity and many illnesses in this country.

Though fruits contain sugar, they still offer many health benefits in terms of their high vitamin and nutrient content, therefore, it’s the one time that eating sugar rich foods is probably okay. However, it is surprising and quite disconcerting how many other foods in our refrigerator and cupboards contain added sugar, and you may not even be aware of it. Oftentimes food companies use names other than “sugar” such as “dextrose” within their ingredients list so you may not even be aware of how much you and your family are actually consuming. These processed and packaged foods are the ones to keep an eye out for and are the ones to try and reduce your daily intake of. Packaged and processed foods contain copious amounts of sugar and just by eliminating many of them from your daily diet you may cut out a significant amount of sugar and also just might significantly improve your health. Another huge source of excess sugar is in what we are drinking. Fruit juices and sodas are another sugar-loaded culprit and may be another thing you’ll want to reduce and limit your daily intake of…and if you do…you may not only improve your health…but odds are you just might find that your belt will need to be pulled a little bit tighter as well!