If you ask me that one single dietary change that can help you in your hormonal problem, your irregular periods, fatigue, PCOS, weight issues, then my answer to you is QUIT SUGAR.
Do you know that the Sugar is the biggest culprit behind most of our health issues? Most of us find it hard to resist the sweet taste of sugary food or we just love to cover up our feelings by eating that chocolate for that momentary pleasure. But today let me explain you the impact of sugar on your health.
But first let us start with the basics. Sugars are carbohydrates that are found naturally in many foods like fruits, grains, vegetables and dairy products. It is an umbrella term for many types of simple carbohydrates, including the white sugar. To understand sugars let us know about sugar more:
Types of Sugar
- Simple sugars (Monosaccharides) – include glucose, fructose, galactose
- Compound sugars (Disaccharides)- made of two bonded monosaccharides.
Sucrose – glucose + fructose
Lactose – glucose + galactose
Maltose – glucose + glucose
White Sugar is a refined form of sucrose obtained from sugarcanes and sugar beet. In the body, compound sugars are hydrolysed into simple sugars and since sugar is everywhere it is vital to know it’s impact on our brain and body.
Sugar and Hormones
Dopamine
Now what happens when the sugar reaches our mouth? So, as soon as we take a bite of our favourite pastry/ sweet , the sweet receptors of the taste buds on our tongue sends signals to different parts of our brain including the cerebral cortex. This activates the brain’s reward system and releases the feel-good chemical called Dopamine. This reward system is not only limited to eating sugary food but also any kind of our favourite foods or with any activity that makes u feel good, like our favourite show or when we hang out with our friends. And because of this feel-good feeling we crave sugar and can get addicted to it.
Of course, eating a little sugar is not bad for our body. In fact, it is very essential for us to survive. But over eating carbohydrates or sugars, can lead to a number of health issues. So, what happens to our body when we over eat?
Insulin
Overeating leads to excess sugar in our body leading to a proportional production of Insulin in our body. Insulin is a hormone produced by pancreas to move the sugar that we eat into our cells to give us energy. But there is only a specific amount of sugar that is absorbed at a time. So, this leads to relative Insulin spike in our body, thereby causing insulin resistance leading to metabolic disorders like type2 diabetes, PCOS etc.
Insulin is very similar chemically to reproductive hormones like LH and FSH, so now the ovaries get tricked and when insulin spikes, the ovaries mistakes this as LH and FSH and down regulates or reduces the production of these reproductive hormones thinking there is enough already. This interferes with your egg maturation and ovulation leading to period problems, infertility and disturbed sex hormones and their ratio.
Altered LH pulse along with decreased sHBG due to hyperinsulinemia may also lead to excessive androgens or male hormones leading to excessive facial hair growth and other symptoms of PCOS
Leptin
High sugar intake has been linked to Leptin Resistance. Leptin is a satiety hormone made by fat cells in our body that signals the brain to reduce hunger and increase metabolism. This means leptin is essential in controlling how much we eat as it tells when to stop eating. But because of excessive sugar intake, our brain becomes less responsive to leptin and so, we don’t know when to stop eating resulting in obesity.
Ghrelin
High sugars also tend to increase Ghrelin hormone production in our body which signals hunger to our brain and can in turn lead us to eat even more.
Also, if you eat more sugar than your body can use in a day, it stores the excess sugar as glycogen in muscles and liver and the rest converts into fat. These extra fats can also enter your bloodstream and form fatty deposits in blood vessels that increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and other heart related problems.
Studies have shown that excess sugar can bind with collagen and elasticity in our skin causing permanent damage to it and making it look wrinkly and saggy.
Believe it or not but refined sugar has also been linked with disease like arthritis, stress, depression, tooth decay, asthma, allergies and even cancer.
Summary
So now whenever you see those irresistible chocolates, your favourite sweets or even your cold drinks, pizzas, burgers or noodles and it’s hard for you to resist, always remind yourself what do you want for yourselves. It’s very important to consume added sugars and carbohydrates in moderation. Focus on whole and nutrient- dense foods as the foundation of your diet to maintain optimal hormone health. Protein and fibre rich diet is the best to subside your sugar cravings.
What else can be done for sugar cravings? Stay tuned for more.