Written by Dr. Nicole Avena
Dr. Avena is a professor, research neuroscientist, and author on food & addiction. She has done extensive research on sugar and the effects it can have on health. She is the author of Sugarless: A 7 Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings and Conquer Your Addiction.
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Metabolic health is a cornerstone of our overall well-being, as it reflects the body's ability to efficiently manage energy and keep things running smoothly inside our bodies. It encompasses a range of factors, including optimal blood sugar levels, balanced cholesterol, as well as healthy blood pressure and body composition. Good metabolic health reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases, and you can influence it through lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. Understanding and maintaining good metabolic health is crucial for long-term health and vitality, as it ensures that the body's physiological processes operate smoothly and effectively.
What is Metabolism
To start, let’s first review what metabolism is: Metabolism is the sum of all chemical processes that occur throughout the body to sustain life. When the human body breaks down food into energy, this is the chemical process of metabolism. Our metabolism is what keeps our body functioning as it provides the energy needed for life sustaining processes—like breathing, digestion, blood circulation, maintaining normal body temperature, and more. In regard to being metabolically healthy, there is really no official criteria. The key is to optimize all of the factors that contribute to it!
Factors that Impact Metabolism
To understand metabolism, we need to understand what impacts metabolic functioning. You often hear of people describing their metabolism as fast, slow, or average, and this depends on a variety of factors, such as sex, genetics, and age. Interestingly, since it takes more calories to build muscle than it does to build fat, individuals who have a greater muscle mass tend to have faster metabolisms. On the flip side, those with lower muscle mass may experience a slower metabolism. Being more physically active can also impact metabolism because it increases the amount of calories burned. The amount of calories you burn plays a significant role in overall metabolism, as it reflects how much energy your body uses to maintain vital functions, perform physical activities, and process food.
Whenever we nourish our body with lean protein, fruits, vegetables, fiber, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plant-based food sources, it helps to fuel our metabolism. Alternatively, whenever we consume foods rich in added sugar, saturated fat, and excess sodium, the opposite effect can be seen. One area that is of particular interest due to its current impact on the American population is how sugar impacts metabolism.
How Added Sugar Comes in to Play
Epidemiological data suggests that the incidence of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease has increased partly due to excessive intake of added sugar in the diet.[1] The research surrounding this shows how excess sugar consumption promotes positive energy balance—which occurs when energy intake exceeds energy used. This impacts the ability of the body to metabolize both fats and carbohydrates, and that causes both body weight and total fat to increase.
Oftentimes, the added sugar found in ultra processed foods comes from fructose, which has infiltrated the American food supply in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) since it is relatively cheap, shelf stable, and creates tasty food products. When there is excessive consumption of fructose, it can be stored as fat in the liver, which can then result in inflammation to the liver and increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. HFCS can also contribute to the dysregulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which means that problems in how the body processes sugars and fats can occur.
Unsurprisingly, there has been a correlation between the rise in obesity rates and the amount of HFCS consumed by the American population. Although a correlation does not mean a direct cause, it is certainly not something to overlook. Various studies have found that excess consumption of HFCS can lead to an increase in body weight, which in turn results in increased metabolic complications and chronic disease states. These findings suggest that when excessive added sugar is consumed, risk for metabolic disease increases.[2]
How Added Sugar Impacts Insulin Resistance
Added sugar has also been found to impact metabolism as it impacts insulin resistance. In fact, whenever excessive amounts of added sugar are consumed, hyperinsulinemia (a condition characterized by an abnormally high level of insulin in the blood) can occur, which can lead to insulin resistance. Simply stated, overconsumption of carbohydrates (sugar) leads to hyperinsulinemia, which can lead to insulin resistance.
With insulin resistance, the body essentially stops responding to insulin’s signal and blood sugars remain elevated because the body is no longer able to regulate blood sugar normally. Insulin resistance is a known risk factor for various chronic disease complications. In fact, one study found that individuals who consume just 10-24.9% of their total calories from added sugar had a 30% increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease than individuals consuming less than 10% from added sugar. Over time, insulin resistance can result in type 2 diabetes, which increases one’s risk for heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.[3]
Take Control of Your Added Sugar Intake
While there are various ways in which added sugar can negatively impact metabolic health and lead to further health complications, being aware of the added sugar content in your diet is one of the best ways to decrease your risk for developing these health complications associated with excess sugar intake.
The American Heart Association recommends that men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day, and that women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. They also recommend that children over age 2 years should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar each day.[4]
Taking a close look at food labels is a great way to increase your awareness regarding the amount of added sugars found within our food supply. Cutting back on your intake of added sugar can seem overwhelming; however, it is best to start with simple changes as they can lead to a large impact overtime.
A good place to start is by looking at the nutrition panel of the foods you consume and identifying the amount of added sugar the item has…do this for all foods you consume in a day and add the amount of added sugar. Do this for 5-7 days and you will get a good understanding of your added sugar intake and the foods that contribute the most!
Then you can ask yourself:
- How does my added sugar consumption compare to the American Health Association Guidelines?
- Which foods in my diet have a lower % daily value from added sugar?
Now you are gaining the information to control your health and vitality.
References
1. Alam YH, Kim R, Jang C. Metabolism and Health Impacts of Dietary Sugars. J Lipid Atheroscler. 2022;11(1):20-38. doi:10.12997/jla.2022.11.1.202. Stanhope KL. Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2016;53(1):52-67. doi:10.3109/10408363.2015.1084990
3. DiNicolantonio JJ, O'Keefe JH. Added Sugars Drive Insulin Resistance, Hyperinsulinemia, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease. Mo Med. 2022;119(6):519-523.
4. How Much Sugar is Too Much?. American Heart Association. Published 2024. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much