Its hard to imagine lifewithout sugar.
But how much sugar is too much?
200 calories equal about 12 teaspoons of added sugar from both food and beverages.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
To put that into perspective, a can of Coca-Cola has about 10 teaspoons of sugar.
But even supposedly healthy foods like a small container of strawberry yogurt contains over three teaspoons of sugar.
When you think about your diet on the whole, it can add up.
Dr. Lela Ahlemann
Most of us consume at least two times or even four times as much sugar as recommended.
Heres everything you gotta know.
In fact, most of the sugar we consume isnt intentional.
Dr. Lela Ahlemann
We may pass on the sweets and lemonade, but its still hidden in a lot of processed foods.
Its also not always easy to recognize in the list of ingredients.
And remember, always speak to your doctor if youre worried about your health or diet.
If you eat too much sugar, you are constantly hungry, says Dr. Ahlemann.
The high increase in glucose levels in the blood leads to an insulin release, says Dr. Ahlemann.
You have a relative hypoglycemia, and this leads to cravings.
In some people, it also leads to mood swings and moodiness.
Normally, sugar is absorbed by the body via the small intestine, says Dr. Ahlemann.
According to the doctor, it becomes food for bacteria that belong in the large intestine.
Selective feeding leads to a proliferation of these bacteria, she says.
The problem is that, unfortunately, they carry endotoxins on their bacterial surface.
These are so-called lipopolysaccharides.
The expert compares the effect to caramelization.
This means that the quality of our collagen deteriorates.
If you want to know more, follow her on Instagram@dr.ahlemannand on TikTok@dr.lela_ahlemann.
A version of this story was previously published inVogueGermany.
