E be like say sugar don dey everywhere for our food these days. Even for places wey you no go expect. As person wey dey report health matters, I don dey worry about how I dey chop chocolate treats every day. One of my regular snacks dey contain more than half of the sugar wey dem recommend for one day.
For US, dem recommend say make person no take pass 12 teaspoons of added sugar (about 50g). For UK, NHS talk say make we no take pass 7 teaspoons (30g). But true true, US adults dey take more than 16-17 teaspoons (65-70g) every day according to US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. To put am for context, 4g na about one level teaspoon of sugar.
I decide to try something. I give myself challenge to stop chop any food wey get added refined sugar for six weeks. I avoid honey and fruit juice too, but I continue to chop natural sugars for whole fruits and complex carbohydrates. From the beginning, I notice some changes for my energy levels. That post-lunch slump wey dey make person weak disappear, but I still dey find myself dey look inside fridge to find something sweet to chop.
First, make we look how dem dey put sugar for our food. E surprise me how e hard to avoid. Sugar full for many ultra-processed foods wey no get plenty nutrients like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Different types of sugar dey: glucose, fructose for fruits and syrups, lactose for milk, and sucrose wey be table sugar.
Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology for University of Michigan, talk say “We come out of the womb liking sweet tastes, it’s part of mother’s milk in those early days where you’re supposed to be gaining a lot of weight.” The problem na say “we’ve gotten so good at delivering sweetness really cheaply.”
Research show say when we chop high-sugar foods, e dey increase our blood sugar levels quickly. If this one happen too often, we fit become resistant to insulin, and risk of type 2 diabetes go increase. High-sugar diets dey linked to cavities, inflammation, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
Gearhardt talk again say “Diet related diseases like diabetes are now killing people beyond the scope of alcohol and opiates and [unhealthy food] is competing with tobacco for being the most deadly substance in the world.” Sugar don dey show say e dey increase fat for liver. For one trial, those wey consume high-sugar drinks for several weeks show about double the amount of fat for their liver, even if dem consume the same calories overall.
Robert Lustig, co-author of the trial and expert on sugar harms, explain say fructose – like the one for corn syrup – na toxic to mitochondria, the cellular machinery wey dey keep our bodies running. “What it does is it basically knocks out mitochondria, and reduces energy expenditure, so you have to build new ones. This can make you feel lousy, fatigued, tired, irritable and increase brain fog,” he tell me.
For my own experience, my energy dey more level during the day as the weeks dey go. Research dey show say diets high in sugary foods dey associated with greater mental distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. But as part of healthy diet, sugar dey fine for moderation – the important thing na to minimize am for those wey dey chop too much.
For first few days wey I stop chop sugar, craving dey strong. Lina Begdache, registered dietitian and associate professor for Binghamton University for US, explain say when we chop sugar e fit alter our brain chemistry like wetin dey happen when people dey addicted to opioids. Eating sugary food dey activate the brain’s reward system.
Research suggest say people wey get stronger cravings for sugary foods fit show greater increase for dopamine when dem consume am – meaning we feel pleasure and reward when we chop sweet things. Many experts dey consider sugar to get addictive properties, even though debate still dey about this matter.
Gearhardt add say other naturally sweet foods like fruit fit become less interesting for our dopamine system. The stronger the desire for sugar, the greater the reward we feel – wey dey reinforce the cycle and fit rewire our brain to crave more. For instance, brains of participants wey consume high-sugar, high-fat pudding daily for eight weeks become significantly more responsive to sugary foods.
Lustig talk say “You’re a hostage to your biochemistry. That’s the definition of addiction. And 20% of the [US] population is sugar addicted.” To resist temptation, I find alternatives like banana and blueberry shake with spoon of cocoa powder. Grapes get similar effect. Even apples taste sweeter too, so even if I no feel like am, I dey chop one daily wey help keep cravings away.
Evidence show say people dey hungrier after rapid blood-sugar drops, pattern wey common after eating high-sugar foods. One study find say participants wey consume milkshake high in concentrated sugar and refined starches dey hungrier four hours later and get more activation for brain’s reward centre, compared to those wey consume low glycaemic index shake.
Dalia Perelman, dietician from Stanford School of Medicine for California, talk say within days of giving up sugar, the body begin to expect less of it. “My taste buds will have begun adapting, becoming more sensitive to sweet tastes.” Gearhardt add say giving up industrially sweetened foods allow the taste system to “recalibrate to the intensity of natural sweetness.”
About three weeks into my experiment, something curious start to happen. I no dey regularly crave sweet treats again. If I get small hungry mid-afternoon, I find myself snacking on healthier alternatives like olives, nuts and fruit. Begdache talk say one reason my cravings go down na simply because reduced exposure to sugary food don alter my palate and reset my metabolism.
Perelman add say “You’ll see that your threshold for tasting the sugar has gone so much lower that you won’t need as much.” She now only dey eat low-sugar home-made cakes as she find anything shop bought dey like “eating a cube of sugar.” Begdache explain say my levels of triglyceride – common type of fat for body wey increase when we consume excess calories – don reduce too.
My insulin sensitivity don improve, as I don dey experience fewer insulin spikes wey dey occur in response to sugary foods. “It’s like resetting to default,” she talk. But for family events – even for my own birthday party – e still dey challenging not to take even small bite of cake. Cravings never dey far because of how much sugary food dey for my immediate environment.
Still, as my sugar intake fall, that sense of reward wey dey linked to dopamine release likely diminish. Reduced sugar diets get other health benefits too. For one small experiment, team ask group of 41 children to give up added sugars for just 10 days. By the end, their blood pressure and body fat fall and dem get lower insulin resistance as well as improved behaviour.
Other research, wey dey look at ultra-processed food – wey tend to be high in sugar, find say when people eat minimally processed food, dem get fewer cravings and more energy. Having clearer picture of wetin sugar dey do to my body make am easier to change my habits – sweet treats just become less appealing.
I also limit my exposure to sweet treats for house and make sure I get plenty healthy snacks to hand. I swap juices for fizzy water with drop of lemon juice, wey dey quench my thirst better. By the end of the six weeks, I fit truly talk say I no dey particularly tempted to reintroduce sugar to my diet.
Begdache tell me say e likely the “addictive loop” for my brain don silence. I no dey crave sugary snacks daily again and foods with added sugar – even low-sugar breakfast cereals – simply taste too sweet for me now. Perelman talk say this change go make am easier to avoid returning to daily sugary treat.
So now my six-week experiment don finish, I go return to my sugary treats? For short, no. But I plan to make few changes. Instead of avoid added sugar completely, I go restrict my abstinence to weekdays, allow myself luxury of treat for weekend. I also dey reframe how I think about sugary food.
When I finally reintroduce some sugar for form of triple chocolate chip cookie (28g of sugar per cookie), I no feel like to chop am at all. I force myself for purposes of this article to see how my body go respond. E taste far too sweet and I fit taste more sugar than chocolate. I feel energy slump soon afterwards too and I take mid-afternoon nap, only possible because I dey on annual leave.
That treat wey I used to chop regularly no longer be treat. I stop after few bites.
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