Most of us LOVE SUGAR. It’s very addictive. However, too much of it in any form can lead to cellular damage in your liver and kidneys.
Our general sugar consumption has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Many of the processed and packaged foods we eat contain added sugars, put in by manufacturers to foods and beverages to improve flavour and/or appearance and texture. It’s impossible to have any control over the amount of sugar we consume if we are consuming prepackaged, convenient, industrialised food.
The World Health organisation suggests people eat no more than 5% of their daily calories from added sugar. For a diet of 2,000 calories per day, this would amount to 100 calories or 6 teaspoons or roughly 25 grams (g) of added sugar. However, the most recent reports for Europe are much higher than this.
Sugar consumption has been related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, reduced kidney function, weight gain, obesity and type 2 diabetes and many hormonal imbalances. Added sugars are found in foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, fizzy and juice drinks.
Impact upon liver and kidneys
Sugar can cause inflammation in your liver by causing it to metabolise huge amounts of fructose or glucose and store that as glycogen. A fatty liver can make it much harder to control blood sugar levels and lead to wild swings in blood insulin and sugar levels, which in turn cause the food addiction to perpetuate itself and potentially cause brain fog, moodiness, poor memory, headaches and shakiness.
High blood glucose levels increase the pressure inside the delicate filtering system in the kidney (the glomeruli), causing increasing damage to the filters. This damage causes high blood pressure, leakage of protein into the urine and, in the long run, can cause progressive kidney damage (see next point for rising blood sugar levels)
Sugar & Perimenopause/Menopause
Rising Blood Sugar Levels – In menopause, as oestrogen and progesterone diminish, our cells become more resistant to insulin, meaning the body has to work harder to manage blood sugar.
You should know that if you’re on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to reduce menopause symptoms like hot flashes, that insulin resistance can make HRT less effective. Even if you’re not on HRT, too much sugar can still worsen menopausal symptoms.
Sugar and Hot Flashes – High blood sugar has been linked to hot flashes. So, it makes sense that if sugar impacts blood sugar levels, it might also increase the number and intensity of your hot flashes. Building on the information provided above, blood sugar levels can be affected by a number of things, including stress, illness, lack of sleep, side effects from medications, and a diet high in saturated fats and sugar.
The glycemic index (a system that ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their effect on blood-sugar levels) indicates that foods low on the index such as vegetables, some fruits, whole grains, nuts stabilise blood sugar levels. A diet high in saturated fats and sugar (fatty meats, processed baked goods, fruit juice, many condiments) leads to spikes in blood sugar levels, and that’s when hot flashes can occur.
By removing the additional sugars through your cleanse, you will help to balance the blood levels with whole foods, reduce inflammation and also support hormone balance.
