Why is sugar bad for me?

Dr. Michael Roizen, MD

Internal Medicine

Sugar clogs arteries, raises cancer risks and ages skin. Here's why sugar causes so much trouble:

When you eat more sugar than your body can burn, it messes up your proteins. For instance, it stops one type from delivering oxygen to your tissues. Plus, your liver repackages excess sugar into fat and dumps it into your bloodstream, where it clogs up your arteries.
There's growing evidence that frequent large doses of sugar are toxic to certain cells, causing damage that leads to cancer. That's why people who eat a sugar-heavy diet are 70% more likely to develop deadly pancreatic cancer than those who shun the sweet stuff.
Too many sweets accelerate skin aging because sugar is attracted to collagen proteins. Normally, collagen keeps skin elastic, supple and well supported, but when collagen hooks up with sugar, it can't do its job properly. The result? Your face gradually starts to sag.

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Carbohydrates

Starches, sugars and fiber are the carbohydrates in food. Carbohydrates are a molecule that plants make during photosynthesis, combining carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are very important in your body's metabolism because they are generally the part of food that is digested most quickly. Carbohydrates can give you quick energy, and cause a rise in blood sugar levels. Diabetics, in particular, need to pay attention to the carbohydrates they eat to help manage their blood sugar. Some carbohydrates, those found in whole grains and leafy vegetables, for example have a much slower impact on blood sugar than carbohydrates in fruits or candy. It's easy to consume a lot of carbohydrates, as foods like breads, pasta, cake, cookies and potatoes are loaded with them. Nutrition experts suggest that you should only get 45 to 65 percent of your daily nutrition from carbohydrates.

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