It’s well known that most of us in the developed world are full-on sugar addicts. Americans currently consume a whopping 150-170 pounds of sugar a year, more than three times the amount recommended by the USDA. And that’s just white sugar – it’s even more when you add hidden sugars corn syrup, glucose and fructose. The worst thing is: you may not even know you’re eating sugar. It’s hidden in all kinds of foods you'd never guess, including peanut butter, salad dressing, pickles, soup, and sometimes even in baby food!
Eating too sweet has some unsavoury consequences: apart from obesity and diabetes, sugar is now linked to Crohn’s disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, depression, tooth decay, hormonal disruption, elevated triglyceride levels (which can lead to heart disease), and even cancer. It’s also been noted by psychiatrists that sugar acts like an addictive drug on the brain. High fructose corn syrup is the worst offender, and it’s hidden in a lot of common foods from breads and cereals to sushi.
Some may substitute maple syrup, agave nectar or honey thinking it’s better than sugar, but in terms of their glycemic index (GI), they’re really not much better. Even worse, many dieters turn to aspartame, saccharin, Splenda, Truvia or Purvia – but you should know that these have all been linked to cancer and tumors. Luckily, there are some good, healthy sugar substitutes, though, including these:
