Is Sugar Making You Fat?

Is sugar making you fat or could this be a myth or just something overhyped? Find out below.

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that occurs naturally in various foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. It’s also frequently added to processed foods and beverages for flavor enhancement, texture improvement, and increased shelf life.

Glucose, fructose, and sucrose are the most common types of sugar. Glucose serves as the primary energy source for the body’s cells and is present in many carbohydrates, including starchy foods such as bread and pasta. Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, honey, and some vegetables. Sucrose, also known as table sugar, is a combination of glucose and fructose and is commonly used as an additive in food and beverages.

The person who tried to answer questions about if sugar is making you fat is none other than Jeff Nippard. Jeff Nippard is a natural professional bodybuilder and fitness coach who shares tips and training programs on his YouTube channel.

And is not just assumptions from Nippard. He takes a logical approach and uses scientific studies to answer questions people might have. Check it out.

Is Sugar Making You Fat?

Is sugar making you fat? Why do people believe in this? According to Nippard, that is a myth that most people simply believed for such a long time that now it is given as a true fact.

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The problem here about drawing conclusions regarding sugar is that they make an unjustifiable jump from correlation to causation. “Just because two things are correlated, like sugar and obesity, it doesn’t imply that sugar is the cause of obesity.”

Moreover, it is unlikely that one single nutrient would uniquely cause obesity. So sugar alone is not making you fat.

A 2013 massive systematic review of 68 studies found that if you replace dietary sugar with other macronutrients and control for caloric content, you don’t see any change in bodyweight.

Energy imbalance is the major determinant of the potential for dietary sugars to influence measures of body fat.

In other words, eating more calories than consuming is still the bottom line and the foundation for gaining weight or losing weight. Sugar alone is not the cause of someone being overweight. There are many other factors in play.

See Nippard’s video below for his full explanation of the subject.

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It’s crucial to be mindful of the effects of sugar on your body, as it can have addictive properties that drive cravings for more. As mentioned earlier, excessive sugar in the bloodstream can have adverse impacts on both your overall health and athletic performance.

As a general guideline, it’s important to consume sugar in moderation due to the potential negative health consequences. While sugar does provide energy for the body, excessive intake can contribute to weight gain, tooth decay, and an increased risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

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To maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s recommended to make balanced food choices and strive for a well-rounded diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. If you have specific dietary requirements or concerns regarding sugar consumption, seeking advice from a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian can provide personalized guidance and support.

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While the correlation is there, consumers of sugary drinks also tend to eat more calories overall, they tend to exercise less and smoke more, and just have a poor dietary pattern in general, explains Nippard.

Additionally, while sugar might not be the evil it is made out to be, that still doesn’t mean you can eat as much of it as you want without consequence. But, it is more important to look at your diet and lifestyle as a whole.

Generally, people should be weary of foods that are:

• High in salt
• High in fat
• Highly processed
• Highly palatable
• Very energy dense

The WHO recommends that added sugars make no more than 10% of your total daily calories, with 5% being ideal.

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