Can Reducing Sugar Help With Chronic Inflammation?

You have probably already learned that excess sugar cancause a host of health issues but did you know that it can also impact ourmusculoskeletal health? Excess sugar intake is one of the leading contributorsto inflammation and chronic pain. If you suffer from frequent aches, you maybenefit from cutting back on the sweet white stuff. Plan a visit to your local chiropractors' office.

This may sound counterintuitive to the topic at hand, butbefore diving into the how-to's, it is important to know that inflammation isnot always bad. Our bodies use inflammation as a defense mechanism to promotehealing, like when you have a cut or even a serious injury. Inflammation ispart of the body's immune response administered to heal the wounded site ofinfection or injury.

The problem arises when we consume too much sugar in ourdiets, which leads to too much inflammation. When you regularly consumeprocessed foods like white bread, soda, juice, cookies, chips, crackers,doughnuts, ice cream, cake and other simple carbs, long-term inflammation canoccur in the body. Long-term inflammation serves no useful function and canactually cause harm to your health. Chronic inflammation is linked to chronicpain and serious diseases including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease,diabetes and cancer. Sugar also contributes to chemicals that are known tokick-start inflammation within the body, known aspro-inflammatory cytokines.

Too much of a good thing can be bad. Consuming too muchsugar causes the production of excess amounts of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), which are a normal part of the metabolism. Yet when excessiveglucose is consumed, a surplus of AGEs comes about. When this occurs, theseAGEs bind with cells and integral proteins and interfere with their functionswhile changing their structure. This process can lead to oxidative stress andinflammation, which can eventually lead to a plaque buildup on our arteries,which we all know is bad for our health.

Chronic inflammation often occurs as a result of lifestyleand diet. You can take some steps to reduce inflammation's negative effects onyour body by reducing the amount of added sugar and refined carbohydrates youconsume.

You may be surprised at how many foods sugar is added to andhow many names it hides behind. Sugar is not only in sweet treats you wouldexpect but also breads, crackers, dips and even some cheeses! Read labels andwatch for sneaky names like:

• Brown rice syrup
• Honey
• High fructose corn syrup
• Evaporated cane juice
• Date sugar
• Beet sugar
• Agave nectar
• Molasses
• Sugar alcohols such as erythritol and xylitol(or just about anything ending in itol)

Wean yourself fromsweet drinks. Beverages that have sugar added to them are one of thequickest and easiest ways to consume mass amounts of sugar. Soda is merelycarbonated sugar water. One 12 ounce can of cola contains over39 grams of sugar, which is more than the recommendeddaily intake of sugar. Also pass on the diet sodas as artificial sweetenershave been proven to be bad for you as well as exacerbate sugar cravings. Fruitjuices are also often laden with added sweeteners for flavor enhancement. Ifyou crave a little flavor, opt for unsweetened yet flavored sparkling water orantioxidant rich green tea.

Cut back on sweettreats. The added sugars and processed flours found in desserts like candy,cakes, pies and cookies elevate insulin levels rapidly, promoting inflammationin the body. Opt instead for fruit smoothies or use natural substitutessparingly if you want something sweet, like a teaspoon of honey in plain yogurtwith fruit.

Begin to remove otherfoods from your diet that contain added sugar. From oatmeal and flavored yogurtsto even regular varieties of almond milk, sugar is in more than you maybelieve. You can get unsweetened versions of many of these items justremember to read your labels.

Watch out for sauces.Many sauces like ketchup, teriyaki, hoisin and barbecue may make your dishestaste extravagant but they also are full of sugars. Opt instead foranti-inflammatory herbs to season your dishes like rosemary, cilantro, ginger,parsley and turmeric. If you can't get past your need for ketchup, opt fortomato paste!

It may be hard at first to eliminate added sugars from yourdiet. Know that the elimination process will get better and your aches andpains may too! And eventually foods that you once thought were not sweet enoughwill become overly sweet to your palate.