Could Sugar Be Killing Your Gut Bacteria?
In the world of food, we know how sugar cravings can get to the best of us. While sugar in moderation is healthy because ultimately our body does need Glucose for regular body functioning, excess sugars can hamper gut health, depleting the composition of the gut microbiome.
What is gut bacteria?
The gut microbiome contains two types of bacteria - the good and the bad. How these bacteria work is that when a balance of the two bacterias is maintained, they consume the foods that you eat and break them down to essential micronutrients like biotin, vitamin K, B12, and folic acid required for the smooth functioning of the hair cycle. Only a balance in the levels of these bacteria will help the body break down and absorb all the essential nutrients for hair growth.
What does sugar do to gut bacteria?
Ideally, bacteria are said to use sugar as energy for their survival and growth. When a person’s diet is overloaded with sugars like soda, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, bread, and biscuits, this gives bacteria extra sugar production and energy to multiply, which throws off the balance in the gut microflora.
High consumption of sucrose, as in table sugar blocks a protein called Roc that is ideally required for the growth of good bacteria in the gut. This can reduce the beneficial bacteria and cause something called leaky gut syndrome. This condition happens when the intestinal barrier lacks the soldiers a.k.a the beneficial bacteria.
A high sugar diet causes inflammation
A diet that contains a high amount of processed food and added sugar eliminates the beneficial bacteria in the human gut. This imbalance can cause increased cravings for sugar, which further damage the gut. Unhealthy and unrefined sugars like corn-syrup cause inflammation of the gut and eventually leads to hair fall too.
Healthy alternatives to sugar
Rather than neglecting your sugar craving completely, just cut down on sugar as in consuming in moderation or simply switch to healthier options to keep up with regular sugar intake. Here’s a few things you can do to manage your sugar cravings.
● Skip beverages like soda and other processed fruit juices and replace them with fruit juices and smoothies
● Opt for complete fruits that are rich in sugar and fiber content
● Simply replace sugar with maple syrup, honey, date syrup and more.
