Less Sugar, More Years

LESS SUGAR, MORE YEARS

Most of us already know that too much sugar raises the risk of serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. But now, new research suggests it does more than harm our health—it may actually speed up the aging process at the cellular level, potentially shortening our lifespan.

Here’s a quick read from the July 31, 2024, Forbes.com article by Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D., titled A New Study Shows That Sugar Consumption May Be Related to Faster Aging.

Refined sugar has become a staple for billions of people globally

A new research study by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, found a link between diets with lower sugar consumption and slower biological aging at the cellular level. Even with otherwise healthy diets, the researchers found that each gram of sugar that was consumed was associated with an increase in epigenetic age—a term that measures aging at the biological and cellular scale.

Dr. Dorothy Chiu, PhD and first author of the research study, explains that following existing guidelines and recommendations for diets which are well known to prevent disease truly makes a difference, emphasizing the importance of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient rich foods. Another senior author of the study, Dr. Elissa Epel, PhD, explains specifically regarding sugar: “We knew that high levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor…Now we know that accelerated epigenetic aging is underlying this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar intake limits healthy longevity.”

This area of nutrition science has received significant attention in recent years and has become especially important as rates of obesity and mortality have increased globally in the past two decades. In fact, the World Health Organization’s statistics are jarring: it found that in 2022, 2.5 billion people were considered “overweight,” which corresponds to nearly 43% of adults; in contrast, in 1990, only 25% of adults were considered “overweight”—meaning that there has been nearly an 18% increase in just 30 years.

Benefits of Preservative-Free & Low-Processed Foods

Emerging research and science are also indicating the numerous health benefits that may result from preservative-free and low-processed foods. Conversely, studies are increasingly showing a higher correlation between hyper-processed foods and the increasing prevalence of diseases; one pertinent example is the surging rates of colon cancer among young adults that has been prevalent for the last decade, which many scientists are now associating with high processed food intake.

Sugar has always been a challenge, given just how ubiquitous it is in cuisines globally and how pervasive it is in day-to-day culture. From morning coffee or tea to evening dessert, refined sugar has become a staple for billions of people worldwide. Per the American Heart Association, in the United States alone, people consume on average nearly 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily—which is nearly 2 to 3 times the recommended amount. According to the organization, “Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day; Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.” To put these figures in context, “A 12-ounce can of soda contains 10 teaspoons (42 grams) of added sugar — nearly double the recommended amount a day for women and more than the total daily amount for men.”

Interestingly, studies have also found that sugar may cause a similar cascade of effects on the reward and pleasure centers of the brain, similar to other addictive substances—meaning that reducing sugar consumption is not an easy task.

However, doing so may yield significant benefits. As Dr. Barbara Laraia, PhD, explains: “Given that epigenetic patterns appear to be reversible, it may be that eliminating 10 grams of added sugar per day is akin to turning back the biological clock if sustained over time.” In addition to simply preventing aging, reducing sugar consumption may be of paramount importance and the key to sustaining a healthy lifestyle and achieving lasting longevity.