Sugar cravings aren’t so sweet… are they? Frequent consumption of sweeteners may cause a host of different health problems.
Although there’s no contest over an occasional indulgence, is it true that longevity could be at the cost of routine added sugar (or any sugar spike)?
Let’s consider that “come down” feeling from a sugar rush, an irritable or restless reaction. The sense of discomfort can be attributed to chemical fluctuations inside the body, spiking insulin, inflammation, and cortisol just to name a few.
Why do we crave sugar?
It makes evolutionary sense. Sugar is quick energy, and the brain runs on a steady supply of glucose. Our distant ancestors found sugar mostly in ripe fruit at the end of summer, plus the occasional honeycomb, so a sweet tooth helped them store calories for winter.
Evolution didn’t prepare us for sugar being everywhere, all year. Today it shows up not only in sodas and desserts but in processed foods and condiments that use sweeteners to round out flavor, which is why it adds up so quickly.
Is Sugar Crash Bad?
While a sugar rush (and crash) may pass after some time, it’s when that “up and down” becomes a habit that serious health issues can arise.
These harsh fluctuations are damaging, and as we’ll also discuss, that flux may stem from more than sweets, a little known detail.
So what health problems should we watch for? And what are tips to avoid too much added sugar, even similar culprits (and what are some examples)?
Too much added sugar | Coffee bad for you?
Refined sugar might have the most familiar bad rap for health, but when consumed often it highlights a number of negative changes to metabolism – some even possible in the absence of added sugar – a quick example is coffee.
Unlike matcha, “empty stimulants” like coffee don’t have the dense nutrients and rich amino acids to balance out the energy.
The sole-kick of caffeine signals your body to ramp up metabolism, an effect which can surge blood sugar (even if you drink your coffee unsweetened!), and then drop off in a couple hours – just like a sugar crash.
The result is a short boost of energy, followed by a hard crash. Furthermore, most energy drinks and coffees do have added sugar, intended to stave that inevitable crash just an hour or two longer.
As for anything which spikes blood sugar – from unsweetened coffee all the way to sugary soda – one negative relationship that researchers are confident in is that between cortisol, insulin, and inflammation.
We’ll focus primarily on added sugar below, but it’s key to know that ‘hard stimulants’ like coffee can negatively interact on this 3-way axis: raising cortisol, increasing insulin, and adding to inflammation. [1]
- One systematic review reports that acute negative effects on blood glucose and insulin may be observed in coffee drinkers. [2]
What the research says about sugary drinks
Large, long-running studies keep pointing the same way. Harvard researchers followed more than 80,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and more than 37,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for decades. The more sugar-sweetened drinks people reported, the higher their rate of early death, with heart disease the condition most closely linked. A French study of over 100,000 adults also found that people who drank more sugary drinks, including 100% fruit juice, had higher rates of cancer, even after accounting for age, smoking, family history and activity.
These are observational studies, so they show a link rather than proof of cause. Still, both research teams landed on the same advice: drink fewer sugary drinks and choose water (or an unsweetened drink) instead.
First up – How to Get off Coffee? Choose matcha for daily energy
The most popular coffee alternative is matcha. Matcha caffeine benefits the body by offering energy without harmful effects; authentic matcha has no added sugars, and is jam-packed with potential health benefits.
Matcha also brings L-theanine, an amino acid that many people find gives calmer, steadier energy than coffee. That’s especially good to know if you’re making the move from coffee, or looking to recover from a diet with too much added sugar.
Matcha can also help curb sugar cravings due to appetite-regulating abilities, but it can’t do it all.
Here’s some other steps to take:
Cook at home to cut down on sugar
There’s nothing wrong with eating out every now and then, but many take out and dine-in options can have lots of added sugar, as well as unhealthy fats.
Opt to cook at home more frequently for an easy change of pace.
Skip the soda and sugary drinks
One of the leading causes of obesity and diabetes is sugary drinks, often sodas and sweet coffee lattes.
If you’re not careful, you can drink more calories than you’d first realize, and the total intake of added sugar can be substantial. Start with sweetened liquids: soda, but also fruit juice, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee and tea. Stick more to water and naturally delicious matcha tea.
Know your Ingredients | How to read the label for sugar
Knowing the different names for sugar can be an important part of your health routine. There are more than 15 names for added sugar, some which sound surprisingly innocent.
Nutrition labels in the US now list added sugars on their own line, which takes some of the guesswork out. A few more rules of thumb help:
- Ingredients ending in “-ose” (dextrose, fructose, maltose, sucrose) are sugars.
- Friendly-sounding sweeteners like cane juice, beet sugar, nectars and 100% fruit juice count too.
- Ingredients are listed by weight, so a sugar near the top of the list means there’s a lot of it.
According to Choosemyplate.gov, here are some less obvious sugar ingredients:
- Anhydrous dextrose
- Corn syrup and corn syrup solids
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Malt syrup
- Maltose
- Molasses
- Nectars (for example, peach or pear nectar)
- Pancake syrup
- Raw sugar
- Sucrose
- White granulated sugar
Watch the fructose
Every common sweetener contains fructose. Table sugar is half fructose, and agave syrup can be as much as 85 percent. Whole fruits like berries, cherries and apples are relatively low in fructose, and their fiber slows how it’s absorbed. Dried fruit is far more concentrated in sugar than fresh, so keep portions small.
Reduce Stress for Cortisol, Inflammation
Feeling stressed can be a common cause behind sugar cravings, but it may also make the added sugar you do consume more problematic. High stress levels are associated with raised cortisol, which on its own may negatively impact insulin response.
If you’re stressed, then your metabolism may be already primed to not tolerate sugar as well as possible.
This amplified effect might increase inflammation and lead to other problems like obesity and a suppressed immune system.
The good news is making changes to your daily fuel (ready to drop coffee?) and diet, it’s possible to work out of that cycle. Also practicing stress management, such as with daily mindfulness, your body may have a stronger foundation to make these changes.
Set a limit on added sugar
It’s natural to want an enjoyable and palatable diet, and people may be more likely to stick to a diet that agrees with the occasional treat. For that reason, don’t jump right to cold turkey, set a daily or weekly limit instead.
The American Heart Association suggests keeping added sugar to about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. The average American eats well over that.
To do so, again it’s important to read the label and know your sugars. It’s also helpful to choose foods which provide long lasting energy, such as healthy fats–rather than sugars–which are a short-lived boost.
Also, matcha is a great source of endurance energy, with a mental and physical boost lasting up to 6 hours.
Be careful of Artificial Sweeteners
It’s reported that some artificial sweeteners can impact glucose and insulin levels, similar to real sugars. If you’re choosing an alternative sweetener, do your research!
There isn’t much evidence that switching to diet drinks and sugar substitutes helps people eat less sugar overall. When your taste buds signal that sweet calories are coming and they don’t arrive, cravings for sweets and other carbs can grow. Regular use of these sweeteners also appears to change the gut microbiome. Sugar alcohols such as xylitol and sorbitol, common in sugar-free gum and candy, can upset digestion in larger amounts.
Also, consider if there isn’t a more natural, low-glycemic option available, such as a dash of maple syrup.
How to Feel Energized without Sugar?
Modern diets are unprecedented for the abundance of foods, but just because it’s available doesn’t mean sugar should be the leading source of energy. A balanced and healthy diet may better include a range of healthy fats, proteins, complex carbs, and naturally occurring sugars.
Besides the right choice of foods, also be sure your preferred ‘energy drink’ isn’t doing the opposite. Most energy drinks (even plain coffee) give a quick rush, with a dragging crash not far behind.
Feel the Matcha Benefits
If that sounds like you, but maybe you like the taste or are unsure of an effective alternative, then give matcha green tea a try! High-quality ceremonial matcha has a natural, slight sweetness and savory flavors that make the transition to this superior energizer an easy one.
Check out our guide to switching from coffee to matcha.
Antioxidants, amino acids, energy to focus. All the good, without all the bad!
-Team Matcha.com
SHOP MATCHA
Related
References
[1] Gavrieli, A., Yannakoulia, M., Fragopoulou, E., Margaritopoulos, D., Chamberland, J. P., Kaisari, P., ... & Mantzoros, C. S. (2011). Caffeinated coffee does not acutely affect energy intake, appetite, or inflammation but prevents serum cortisol concentrations from falling in healthy men. The Journal of nutrition, 141(4), 703-707.
[2] Reis, C. E., Dórea, J. G., & da Costa, T. H. (2019). Effects of coffee consumption on glucose metabolism: A systematic review of clinical trials. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 9(3), 184-191.
