It has been several years since we were told to cut salt in our diets.

Then we were told to cut back on sugar, which the researchers linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and many complications related to these disorders.

In 2016, the general advice is to eliminate sugar from your diet completely.

This, of course, is tricky because many of us have a sweet tooth, thanks to diets rich in that sugary taste we crave. The more sugar we’ve ingested over the years, the more our body craves for it now. It doesn’t help that cakes, tarts, glazed donuts, ice cream, and many others seem to be in our way as we shop our way with a healthy intention of foods that we have been told to constitute the optimal diet.

So are the things.

Reports reveal that the average person in the United States consumes more than 126 grams of sugar per day, which is almost double the average sugar intake of all 54 countries.

Additionally, 126 grams is twice the recommended daily intake, which the World Health Organization designates as 50 grams per day for people of normal weight.

Eliminating sugar from your diet could save you from a multitude of health problems down the road.

But is eliminating sugar from your diet a practical recommendation?

Perhaps a better strategy would be to take smaller steps and focus on reducing your sugar intake.

The following are ten reasons why you should consider eliminating or significantly reducing sugar from your diet:

Depression and sugar intake

Sugar is on the prevention list of the 5 foods that cause depression, and for good reason. Multiple studies have suggested that there is a link between a high-sugar diet and depression.

It is important to remember that the foods you eat do not just release their nutrients, sugars, and calories into your abdomen and thighs; they also send them to your brain.

Obesity and sugar consumption

Sugar has been referred to as the new tobacco.

Sugar is loaded with empty calories (energy) that your body stores for days afterward. Only the last days never come and eventually all that accumulated energy turns into fat.

Blood pressure and sugar intake

More and more Americans are being diagnosed with high blood pressure, and the Mayo Clinic suggests that a poor diet is one of the biggest risk factors.

The more sugar you eat, the more your bad cholesterol levels can increase, leading to hardening of the arteries and an increase in blood pressure.

Heart disease and sugar consumption

No matter how much you weigh, consuming more sugar only improves your chances of developing heart disease and having a heart attack.

Figures from the past have shown that people who consume 25% more sugar than others have a higher chance of dying from a heart attack.

Sugar addiction and consumption

While sugar is not classified as a drug, its effects are similar to those of heroin. For this reason, sugar is just as addictive as illegal drugs. They hijack the same neural pathways as heroin and cocaine, leaving people increasingly anxious.

Also, like drugs, sugar can be easily abused.

Fatty liver disease and sugar consumption

Sugar is mainly made up of two simple types of sugars:

• Fructose

• Glucose

Fructose is very much the “evil twin” and immediately targets the liver. Over time, excess sugar can cause fatty liver, which, if left untreated, can lead to chronic liver disease or cirrhosis.

Sugar intake and diabetes

By far the biggest connection researchers have made is between sugar and diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when your pancreas does not make enough insulin (a hormone that helps convert glucose into energy) or the cells in your body cannot absorb glucose for energy.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when cells do not use glucose properly, due to the development of obesity.

Sugar intake and cancer

Although the tests are still in the trying stage, there is some research to suggest that sugar may cause certain cancers.

Dental problems and sugar intake

Although sugar is certainly not the only reason for oral problems, it can certainly cause some pretty nasty damage to molars.

This is because it leaves a dirt trail on your teeth which, over time, can lead to plaque and ultimately cavities.

Appetite and sugar consumption

Because sugar is so addictive, it makes you want to eat more and more. Eliminating it from your diet will harmonize your appetite and you will no longer feel like a bottomless pit of hunger.

If you want to optimize your health and the health of your children, start eliminating or at least reducing sugar from your diet and start living a healthier, longer and more optimal life.