Desserts and sweets are comfort food we love since we were kids. We grew up having them as rewards from our parents, and later on consuming them whenever we feel stressed, or when we just want to have a girly day out.
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Credit: Pesca Ice-cream
Besides all those treats that we have, don’t forget that we also add sugar to our daily coffee and tea. What’s more, sugar is also present in our processed food like bread and sausages, and condiments like our Worcester sauce and ketchup. The list is never ending.
With the omnipresence of sugars, have you ever thought about what exactly it does to our body? Is it ok to continue our love for sweets? Or are there side effects of excessive sugar intake?
Why is excessive sugar bad for us?
1. Cavities
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Credit: Personal Care Dentistry
We have been taught this too many times as kids and no, it is not a myth our parents scare us with. Bacteria feeding on simple sugars left on our teeth create acid that erodes our enamel, and that is the main cause of tooth decay.
2. Overworks our liver
Sugar is broken down into glucose and fructose before entering our blood stream. We need glucose for our bodily functions, but fructose is unnecessary and it can only be metabolize by our liver. Too much sugar will cause the liver to overwork and in the long run, it may result in liver failure.
3. Weight gain
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Credit: Under Armour
Excess sugars in our body are converted to triglycerides, which is a type of fat that is stored in our body (think muffin tops and flabby thighs). Soft drinks or flavoured juices that are rich in sugars are the worst, because they do not let you feel satiated, yet they add on huge numbers to your calorie count, resulting in weight gain.
4. Insulin resistance
High sugar intake increases our body’s demand for insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is required to convert food into energy and when insulin level is always high in our body, our body’s sensitivity to insulin is reduced. With that, glucose will start building up in our blood and that could result in fatigue, hunger, high blood pressure and later on, full blown diabetes.
VITAGEN LESS SUGAR
It is scary to know how the sweet and innocent sugar can create such havocs in our body. Health Promotion Board recommends that added sugar should contribute to less than 10% of our dietary energy, and that translates to approximately only 8 to 11 teaspoons daily.
Because it is impossible to totally remove added sugars from our diet, we must remember to consume them in moderation. Always try to look for beverages and food that are low in sugar, and if you can (yes we know how difficult it is), skip dipping your strawberries in cream, or adding another teaspoon of sugar into your coffee.
Amidst all the beverages that has high sugar levels, we are glad to have VITAGEN LESS SUGAR, which is a cultured milk drink specially formulated for consumers who are health conscious and are concerned about their sugar intake. VITAGEN LESS SUGAR has at least 25% less sugar as compared to regular cultured milk drinks and it contains probiotic cultures (good bacteria), and is high in prebiotic fibre (dietary fibre) for good gut health and a healthier you.
Get VITAGEN LESS SUGAR delivered to your doorstep today!