PHARMA NORD
tackling the
SUgAR cRISIS
AS 2018 BEgINS, mANY of YoUR cUStomERS wIll BE looKINg foR A NEw StARt IN thE NEw YEAR – whIch oftEN mEANS loSINg wEIght.
o
ne of the major challenges to losing weight is the amount of sugar in our diets.
Sugar is all over the news, linked to diabetes, dementia, cancers and many other health conditions. massively increased sugar intakes are also increasing our rates of obesity - a worrying thought as obesity itself is linked to a wide range of other health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
So how exactly does this emerging sugar crisis impact weight gain? can anything be done to control the process?
whEN thE gooD tURNS BAD when everything is working well, carbohydrates are an important energy source as they release sugar into the bloodstream - something our body needs to power its massive list of energy intensive activities. our body cells have receptor sites for
12 - phARmAcY IN focUS
insulin, a place where insulin can connect to the cell and activate a certain function. this activates the sugar channels in the cells, allowing sugar to leave the blood and enter cells where it can be metabolised for energy.
the trace mineral chromium plays an important role here. Binding to a compound known as chromodulin, chromium is able to keep these receptor sites healthy and enhance the effect of insulin on them (more on chromium later).
Excessive sugar is converted to lipids, which are likely to be stored as adipose tissue/body fat. Excessive sugar intakes also cause the pancreas to produce excessive levels of insulin, resulting in damage to the cellular insulin receptors, exhausting the pancreas and the acceleration of fat storage. the effects? weight gain, contribution to diabetes and insulin resistance.
INSUlIN RESIStANcE - whY It mAttERS Insulin resistance describes when insulin receptors are dulled to the effects of insulin, so they refuse to open the glucose channels as readily. In an effort to maintain balanced blood sugar, the pancreas produces even more insulin to finally convince the cells to open their glucose channels. this exhausts the pancreas even further as well as damaging insulin receptors and, of course, contributing to even more fat storage.
worryingly, insulin resistance both causes and is caused by being overweight (a sort of downward spiral). Stored body fat (especially in the abdominal region) is hormonally active tissue, contributing to inflammation which may also damage the cells response to insulin. this damaging cycle is difficult to break out of and is the main reason why
many of us seek help to control our blood sugar.
thE pRoBlEm wIth SUgAR So what causes our cells to become resistant to insulin in the first place? Various factors including sedentary lifestyles as well as diets high in sugar and calories. Simple sugars are a source of calories that provide little in the way of nutrition or satiety (the feeling of fullness). As a result, it's too easy to consume sugar foods in excess, especially as they have an addictive quality. high sugar intakes can result in low blood sugar (as excessive insulin drives it into the cells or as fat), resulting in the emergence of sweet cravings. this leads to poor concentration, fatigue and weight gain, especially if we eat sweet, high calorie snacks.
Sugar is a large contributing factor to global obesity, but it's something we can do something about.
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