Is sugar toxic?

Sugar isn’t poisonous. But in the amounts we tend to eat, sugar can act a lot like poison.  Let’s be clear about this. The sugar your body needs is glucose — the fuel for your brain and muscles. We get it naturally from rice, fruit, milk and vegetables. This is not the problem.  The real culprit is added sugar: the white sugar, corn syrup and sweeteners mixed into soda, bread, sauces, dressings and so-called “healthy snacks”. The World Health Organization recommends less than six teaspoons a day. Many of us get 3 to 4 times this amount daily without realizing it.  What really happens What happens when sugar enters our bodies that fast and that often? Your blood sugar spikes. Insulin surges to clear it. If you do this daily, your cells will soon start ignoring insulin. This is the first step to type 2 diabetes. Your liver turns the excess sugar into fat which could lead to inflammation, fatty liver, high blood pressure and gout. Other side effects are damaged blood vessels and the risk of heart disease.  The good news: you don’t need to quit sugar forever. That slice of cake is not dangerous. You see, toxicity is about frequency and dose.  The key is fiber....