To Your Health: Reduce sugar intake for overall health improvement

By Gillian Slade on August 14, 2017.

The health rewards from cutting down your sugar intake can start within a week, according to research undertaken in the U.S.

The fringe benefits are not only reduced weight but also a healthier liver and reduced risk of diabetes.

In the research study 40 children who were significantly overweight had sugar removed from their diet. Within eight days they had a lower level of cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduced fat in the liver.

Most of us consume sugar without even realizing it. If you read package labels, and you really have to do that if you are not preparing your own meals and snacks, you will find most contain fructose corn syrup, which is transformed into fat in our bodies. Remove that substance from your diet and you are well on your way to being a healthier you.

Glucose metabolizes 20 percent in the liver and 80 per cent in the rest of the body while fructose is almost entirely metabolized in the liver and it converts to fat nearly 20 times faster than glucose.

If you want to cut this from your diet you will need to make some changes to what you are choosing to buy in the supermarket. Fresh is best because you control what you eat. There are no hidden ingredients. Even the salad dressings and sauces you are buying probably contain fructose.

If you are groaning at the thought of giving up pre-cooked and packaged meals don’t feel overwhelmed. Start small. Make one change initially, and then another.

This time of year is ideal to start. There is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables at reasonable prices. This means the majority of your meals can be made up of these items with little or no cooking.

Watch what you are drinking too. We are hot and it is good to stay hydrated. Fruit juices, though, are full of sugar. Try to stick to water and for a treat add slices of lemon and/or cut up strawberries. Iced tea is also a good alternative. Make your own with a good quality fruit tea and don’t sweeten it. If you need to add honey initially, slowly reduce the amount.

Choose unflavoured yogurt and add fresh fruit.

If you want a treat, drizzle melted chocolate over fresh fruit.

This particular study was published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Here’s to reduced sugar and fructose and here’s To Your Health.

To Your Health is a weekly column by Gillian Slade, health reporter for the News, bringing you news on health issues and research from around the world. You can reach her by email on call 403-528-8635.

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