Sugar has never been considered a health food, but lately, the science against it keeps growing stronger. New evidence shows going overboard on the sweet stuff can lead to high cholesterol and blood pressure […] not to mention excess weight gain.

        Problem is most people are eating more sugar now than they ever have. The average person consumes about 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day — 300 calories worth! — which is four times more than the amount recommended by most health experts, including the American Heart Association. Annually, all those teaspoons add up to 170 pounds of sugar.

        So why are we so addicted to sugar? First off, it is literally addicting. When you eat something sweet, you get a surge of dopamine, the chemical in your brain that brings you pleasure. Added sugar is also tough to dodge. Sweetener hides in foods that don’t even taste sugary, like breads, sauces and condiments. What’s more, it’s so hard to decipher the difference between added sugars and the kinds found naturally in whole foods. Eating naturally occurring sugars — like fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy — is generally considered healthy because they contain nutrients with metabolic benefits, such as fiber and antioxidants. Added sugars (sweeteners put into food for flavor) have no such perks. […]