The term "refined sugar" refers to the processing raw sugar undergoes to make large quantities of an inexpensive sweetener. The result is an ingredient that extends a food's shelf life while appealing to the customer's base appetite. On any food label in the grocery store, you will find a multitude of names that refer to sugar. Table sugar, cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose and simple syrup are just a few.
Dental Cavities
Many people consume excess sugar calories via sweetened beverages, and excessive sugar intake can wreak havoc on your smile. However, the sugar that causes the most harm to your teeth is the one used in refined carbohydrates like desserts, white breads and crackers. These foods form a thick paste in your mouth that adheres to teeth. Because of these adhesions, the bacteria that cause cavities have more time to break down tooth enamel.
Weight Gain
Consuming foods high in refined sugars affects your waistline in various ways. Refined sugars often eliminate the complex qualities of a food, making it less nutritious and higher in calories. In the case of sugar-sweetened beverages, no nutritional benefit exist at all. A 2006 study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" illustrates how diets rich in soda and juice promote weight gain by offsetting the healthy selections you could be making and adding unnecessary calories to your diet.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is the substance that regulates how much food you eat. It works with the satiety hormone leptin to alert the cells of your body that you have eaten and that glucose is available for those cells to use as energy. According to a study published in the 2002 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," a diet high in fructose decreases the production of both insulin and leptin in the central nervous system. High fructose consumption also elevates your triglyceride count, and people with high triglycerides are typically also insulin-resistant.
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