Donuts. Chocolate. Candy. Cake.
Not the first four items on our shopping list…honest. But just four of thousands of things that are dependent on sugar for their rich, sweet taste. Also, a list of foods that most would agree would be classed as naughty. Because sugar is synonymous with indulgence and decadence, it has been demonized by the health community. Sugar has been linked with:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Impaired Immune System Function
- Tooth Decay
- Accelerated Aging
Not great PR for the white stuff, right? The problem with sugar is that it is far more ubiquitous than many realize. For example, fruit is rich in sugars in the form of fructose. When consumed in whole fruit, this is negated by the fibre content of the fruit. However, fruit juices and smoothies are problematic in that, when you blend fruit, you severely decrease the fibre content. This renders the fruit far less healthy and far more likely to contribute to weight gain and other significant health risks.
So, we’ve established that sugar can contribute to poor health outcomes, but can it be even worse? Do some people respond differently to sugar? It’s time to take a look at sugar intolerance.
Sugar Intolerance
When you eat a food, your body will produce enzymes. Enzymes are a substance that is produced by your body that will break down foods using a biochemical reaction. Enzymes are the most efficient thing at breaking down foods so, when insufficient enzymes are present to break down a particular food, you’re living with food intolerance.
So what does this mean? This means that your body has to find an alternative way to break down the food, and this is often left to bacteria, which produce excessive amounts of gas when breaking down food. Sugar intolerance is brought about by a lack of the enzyme sucrase. But how do you know if you have a sugar intolerance? What are the symptoms you should be looking for?
- A tingling sensation in the mouth after eating sugar.
- Fatigue.
- Swelling of lips, tongue, throat, face, and/or other parts of the body.
- Dizziness.
- Digestive Distress.
- Bloating.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms whenever you eat sugar, then you’re potentially looking at sugar intolerance. To rule out any other potential causing factors, you should consider allergy and intolerance testing.
Intolerance Testing
When you suspect you’re living with food intolerance, it is essential to identify exactly which food is causing your symptoms. While you can try to do it by trial and error, the best way is intolerance testing. Intolerance testing will help you accurately identify your problem substance so that you can begin the elimination diet to get the problem food out of your diet. Find a range of intolerance testing to suit your budget here.
