49 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

By Nancy Appleton

Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., is a nutritional consultant, researcher, lecturer, and author of Lick the Sugar Habit, Healthy Bones, and Balanced Body Secret.

• Sugar can suppress the immune system.
• Sugar upsets the minerals in the body.
• Sugar causes hyperactivity in children.
• Sugar produces a significant rise in triglycerides.
• Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.
• Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
• Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, intestines, prostate and rectum.
• Sugar increases fasting levels of glucose and insulin.
• Sugar causes copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar weakens eyesight.
• Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters called serotonin.
• Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
• Sugar can produce an over-acid stomach.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can lead to anxiety, difficulty concentrating and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can cause aging.
• Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
• Sugar causes tooth decay.
• Sugar contributes to obesity.
• Sugar can cause acidity in the stomach.
• Sugar can cause changes frequently found in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
• Sugar can cause arthritis.
• Sugar can cause asthma.
• Sugar can cause Candida albicans overgrowth (yeast infections.)
• Sugar can cause gallstones.
• Sugar can cause heart disease.
• Sugar can cause appendicitis
• Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
• Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
• Sugar can cause varicose veins.
• Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
• Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
• Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
• Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
• Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
• Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
• Sugar can decreased growth hormone.
• Sugar can increase cholesterol.
• Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar can cause migraine headaches.
• Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
• Sugar causes food allergies.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
• Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

Be sure to recognize what is meant by the serving size as it relates to the overall container volume. For instance, a 24 ounce bottle of Pepsi contains three 8 ounce servings with each serving containing 28 grams of sugars or a total of 84 grams of sugars for the whole container. This far exceeds the daily 24 grams limit for someone adhering to a 1600 calorie daily diet or the daily 40 grams limit for those adhering to a 2000 calorie daily diet limit. Also, other soda flavors like grape and orange have a much higher sugar content per serving size. No wonder we have such an epidemic increase in diabetes and other ailments.