Your Body on Sugar

Your Body on Sugar Learn how sugar affects the body and how to curb cravings with healthier choices. There are two types of sugar-natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugar is found in fruits, milk, and some whole grains. Added sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, is sugar that is added to processed foods and drinks, such as cookies, cereals, and soda. Here are a few ways sugar affects the body: Brain Added sugar can be as addictive as drugs, tobacco, or alcohol. It affects the same regions of the brain, triggering the pleasure sensors to release dopamine. Dopamine makes you want to eat more, even when you are not hungry. Liver When you consume too much added sugar, your liver has to work extra hard to process it. Excess sugar in the liver often turns into fat. Fat buildup can lead to liver damage or other health concerns like high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease. Pancreas Too much added sugar in the body can overload and damage your pancreas. The pancreas controls the blood sugar called insulin that powers your muscles and organs. Lack of insulin can cause muscle and nerve damage. Did You Know? Consuming more than 9 teaspoons of sugar a day for men and 6 teaspoons for women can lead to health problems, such as tooth decay, obesity, and depression. One 12-ounce can of soda One apple teaspoons of sugar teaspoons of sugar %3D 1 One serving of sugary puff breakfast cereal 8-10 teaspoons of sugar Two tablespoons of peanut butter teaspoon of sugar Candy Bar %3D 1 One full-sized 52-82 A handful of teaspoon of chocolate candy bar teaspoons of sugar plain almonds sugar Limit added sugars in your diet by making healthier choices: • Reach for fresh fruit instead of pie, donuts, or cake. • Bring your own healthy snacks (frozen grapes, trail mix, yogurt, almonds, peanut butter and celery sticks, and/or apple slices) to work. • Eat a smaller serving of sweet treats, such as a snack-size candy bar rather than a full-sized one. www.GuardYourHealth.com GUARD YOUR HEALTH f www.facebook.com/ARNGHealth My Mission. My Health. www.twitter.com/arnghealth