Longevity by Jennifer Cox Sugar is everywhere – it tempts us in sweet treats, it’s added to more than half of packaged foods and we, ourselves, add it to our hot beverages, cereal, fruit and more. Sugar is almost irresistible – in fact, it’s said to be almost as addictive as drugs and alcohol. However, it can wreak havoc on our bodies and overall health and, ultimately, it can shave precious years off of our lives. Countless studies have been conducted on the effects of sugar. One of the more recent reports came out of the University College London, where they proved that flies with a history of eating a high-sugar diet live shorter lives, even after their diet improves. This is because the unhealthy diet drives long-term reprogramming of gene expression. Even while feeding on a healthy diet, the flies that had previously eaten a high-sugar diet started to die earlier and, on average, had 7% shorter lifespans. Senior author Dr. Nazif Alic of the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing said, “The burden of age-related ill health is being exacerbated by poor diets and we know these can cause long-term, detrimental effects by programming our physiology. Our finding helps understand how bad diets can impact on animal lifespan. The dietary intervention we used is extreme (similar to feeding a human only cake for two decades), but the mechanism we uncovered may also be mediating longterm effects of diet in humans and this is an important idea to explore in the future.” So, what’s not so sweet about sugar? Lots of things! Sugar is known to cause weight gain and fluctuating blood sugar levels, which puts you at risk for heart disease, liver disease andmore. Sugar can increase your chances of developing all sorts of detrimental illnesses, from diabetes and depression to cancer. And, according to Healthline, sugar canmake you age faster. Telomeres, structures found at the end of chromosomes that hold part or all of your genetic information and act as protective caps, prevent chromosomes fromdeteriorating or fusing together. As you get older, telomeres naturally shorten, which causes cells to age and malfunction; while this is a normal part of aging, unhealthy lifestyle choices can speed up the process, and high amounts of sugar have been shown to accelerate telomere shortening. Sugar isn’t just that shimmery granular stuff you stir into your tea and coffee. No, it comes inmany forms: glucose, fructose, dextrose, sucrose and maltose. While it is okay to have some sugar, the Heart & Stroke Foundation recommends that you consume no more than 10% total calories per day from added sugars and ideally, less than 5% (that is, for an average 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 10% is about 48 grams, or 12 teaspoons, of added sugars). Did you know that just one can of pop contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar or 85% of the recommended daily intake? So, scale back or forget the soda altogether. Foods that naturally contain sugar such as vegetables, fruit and milk should be included in a healthy diet in reasonable quantities as well, they suggest. It may be hard to resist, but avoiding sugar is one of the best ways to increase your overall longevity. It’s all about seeking out new ingredients and arming yourself with nutritional knowledge. Turn to natural sweeteners from plants such as stevia, lucuma, mesquite and coconut blossom nectar, or use organic cinnamon, nutmeg or real vanilla for a delicious and healthful alternative in beverages and desserts. Drink lots of water. Pay attention to labels onmass-produced foods. Be proactive and educate yourself on what you’re actually eating. Cutting back on your sugar intake a little bit could boost your well-being in a big way. LONGEVITY and sugar 40 | www.snowbirds.org
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