78 Reasons to Avoid Sugar

I could come up with way more than 78 Reasons to Avoid Sugar. In fact, I'm about to make a very bold statement...you ready?

Sugar is the number one killer in America and probably the world.

Sugar is the underlying cause of some of the biggest killers in the world like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. Not to mention, it's the cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is spreading rapidly in both children and adults.

According to the New York Times, an estimated 80 million to 100 million Americans have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which causes the liver to swell with dangerous levels of fat. Roughly seven million of those are adolescents and teenagers.

There is absolutely zero nutritional value to be gained by eating processed sugar. Empty calories keep you slave to the highs and lows of a dangerous game of bouncing blood sugar.

Sugar is bad news, and if these weren't reason enough to stay away from the white stuff, here are 78 reasons to avoid sugar!

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
5. Sugar can adversely affect children’s school grades.
6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
9. Sugar can reduce helpful high-density cholesterol.
10. Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol.
11. Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
12. Sugar may cause copper deficiency.
13. Sugar interferes with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
14. Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and rectum.
15. Sugar can cause colon cancer with an increased risk in women.
16. Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.
17. Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
18. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
19. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.
20. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21. Sugar can produce an acidic stomach, indigestion, and heartburn.
22. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
23. Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
24. Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and gray hair.
25. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
26. Sugar can produce tooth decay.
27. Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
28. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
29. Sugar can cause a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in people with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30. Sugar can cause arthritis.
31. Sugar can cause asthma.
32. Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection).
33. Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.
34. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
35. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
36. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
37. Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
38. Sugar can indirectly cause hemorrhoids.
39. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
40. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.
41. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
42. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
43. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
44. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
45. Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
46. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
47. Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
48. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
49. Sugar can change the structure of protein causing interference with protein absorption.
50. Sugar causes food allergies.
51. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
52. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
53. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
54. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
55. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
56. Sugar can cause cataracts.
57. Sugar can cause emphysema.
58. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
59. Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
60. Sugar lowers the enzymes’ abilities to function.
61. Sugar can cause the loss of tissue elasticity and function.
62. Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage. 66. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
66. Sugar can cause constipation.
67. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
68. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
69. Sugar can cause hypertension.
70. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
71. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind’s ability to think clearly.
72. Sugar can cause depression.
73. Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low-sugar diets.
74. Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
75. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
76. Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness, which increases the risk of blood clots.
77. Sugar can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
78. Sugar increases the risk of blood clots.

If these 78 reasons to avoid sugar aren't enough for you, why not try removing sugar from your diet for a while to see how you feel? Managing inflammation with diet is easy once you decide to make changes.

Need more data? Check out how sugar drives inflammation and how sugar impacts the immune system.

I bet you'll feel a ton better once you get through the initial withdrawal. If you decide to ditch sugar for a bit, here are some helpful tips for dealing with sugar cravings.