#1 Shocking Food That Causes Inflammation

Summary

Dr. Anul Gupta, a board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert, reveals sugar as the primary culprit behind inflammation in our bodies. Hidden sugars in everyday foods like honey, agave, and fruit sugars are highlighted as harmful, even in seemingly healthy options. The video explains how sugar causes inflammation through insulin spikes, gene expression changes, gut microbiome disruption, and increased gut permeability. Gupta offers tips on identifying hidden sugars, using natural sweeteners, and making healthier food swaps to reduce inflammation and improve overall health.

Takeaways

• 🍬 Sugar is the primary cause of inflammation in the body, including hidden sugars in foods like honey, agave, and fruit sugars.
• 📈 Consuming sugar leads to an insulin spike, which in turn releases pro-inflammatory cytokines that increase inflammation.
• 🧬 Sugar can alter gene expression, triggering the release of chemokines and incans that further contribute to inflammation.
• 🌱 Sugar feeds bad bacteria and yeast in the gut, disrupting the microbiome and leading to increased inflammation levels.
• 🚫 Sugar is toxic to the gut lining, reducing the production of protective cells and causing 'leaky gut', which is linked to chronic inflammation and autoimmune conditions.
• 🥗 Hidden sources of sugar include salad dressings, yogurts, instant oatmeal, dried fruits, canned fruits, and breakfast cereals.
• 🧂 Be cautious of 'no sugar added' labels, as ingredients like fructose, corn syrup, and agave can still be present.
• 🔍 Always read food labels to identify added sugars and artificial sweeteners.
• 🍯 Replace sugary foods with natural sweeteners like Stevia and Monk fruit, but in moderation.
• 💧 Stay hydrated with water and flavored water instead of sugary drinks to reduce sugar intake.
• 🥦 Consume fibrous foods with sugary fruits to slow down sugar absorption and reduce insulin spikes.
• 🥜 High-quality fats and proteins can help curb sugar cravings and improve overall health.

Q & A

What is the main food item discussed in the script that causes inflammation?

The main food item discussed in the script that causes inflammation is sugar, particularly hidden sugars in various foods that people consume daily.

Why is sugar considered the number one reason for inflammation according to Dr. Anul Gupta?

Dr. Anul Gupta states that sugar is the number one reason for inflammation because it causes insulin spikes, alters gene expression, changes gut microbiome, and increases gut permeability, all of which contribute to inflammation.

How does sugar cause inflammation in the body?

Sugar causes inflammation by causing insulin spikes, which release pro-inflammatory cytokines; by changing gene expression to trigger the release of chemokines; by altering the gut microbiome to feed bad bacteria and yeast; and by increasing gut permeability, also known as leaky gut.

What are some hidden sources of sugar mentioned in the script?

Some hidden sources of sugar mentioned in the script include salad dressings, yogurts, instant oatmeals, dried fruits, canned fruits, canned beans, breakfast cereals, granola bars, protein bars, energy drinks, sodas, fruit juices, and punches.

What are the health implications of consuming sugar as described in the script?

Consuming sugar can lead to chronic inflammation, which in turn can cause autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, Graves' disease, and other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

What advice does Dr. Anul Gupta give for reducing sugar intake?

Dr. Anul Gupta advises replacing sugary foods with natural sweeteners like Stevia and Monk fruit, reading labels carefully to identify hidden sugars, making healthy swaps like drinking water instead of sugary drinks, and consuming fibrous foods along with fruits to slow down sugar absorption.

How can one identify sugar additives in food products according to the script?

To identify sugar additives in food products, one should look for ingredients like fructose, corn syrup, Agave, honey, and any natural sweeteners or sugars listed in the product's ingredient list.

What are some natural sweeteners suggested in the script that are considered safe?

The script suggests using natural sweeteners like Stevia and Monk fruit, which are considered safe alternatives to sugar and other artificial sweeteners.

What is the importance of fiber in managing sugar absorption as discussed in the script?

Fiber is important in managing sugar absorption because it slows down the absorption of sugar from the gut, which in turn slows the insulin spike and helps in reducing inflammation.

How can high good fats and high protein meals help in reducing sugar cravings as mentioned in the script?

High good fats and high protein meals can help in reducing sugar cravings by keeping one full and providing sustained energy, thus reducing the desire for sugary snacks or meals.

What are the benefits of reducing or eliminating sugar from one's diet as described in the script?

Reducing or eliminating sugar from one's diet can lead to reduced inflammation, improved mental clarity, increased energy, less body pain, and better overall body functioning, including improved thyroid health.

Outlines

00:00

🍬 Hidden Sugars: The Silent Inflammation Culprit

Dr. Anul Gupta, a board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert, introduces the concept of hidden sugars in our everyday foods as the primary cause of inflammation. He explains that while people often associate sugar with white or brown sugar, the real culprits are the sugars hidden in various foods like honey, agave, maple syrup, and fruit sugars. These sugars, when consumed, cause an insulin spike, leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which over time can result in chronic inflammation. Dr. Gupta also discusses how sugar can alter gene expression to increase inflammation, impact gut microbiome by feeding bad bacteria and yeast, and increase gut permeability, leading to leaky gut syndrome. He emphasizes the importance of identifying and eliminating these hidden sugars from our diets to reduce inflammation and improve overall health.

05:01

🛑 Strategies to Combat Hidden Sugars in Your Diet

Dr. Gupta provides practical advice on how to identify and eliminate hidden sugars from one's diet. He suggests looking for ingredients like fructose, corn syrup, agave, honey, and other natural sweeteners in food labels. He also warns against artificial sweeteners. To replace sugar, he recommends natural sweeteners like Stevia and monk fruit in moderation. Dr. Gupta advises reading food labels carefully, making healthy swaps such as drinking water instead of sugary drinks, and consuming fibrous foods alongside fruits to slow sugar absorption. He also suggests starting the day with a chia seed water for fiber and protein, which can help reduce sugar cravings. By reducing sugar intake, one can expect improvements in mental clarity, energy levels, pain reduction, and overall health, including better thyroid function.

Keywords

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection. In the context of the video, it is described as a condition that can be exacerbated by consuming certain types of food, particularly hidden sugars. The video emphasizes that chronic inflammation can lead to various health issues, making it a central theme in understanding the impact of diet on health.

💡Sugar

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate found naturally in some foods and added to others. The video discusses how sugar, especially in hidden forms, is a primary cause of inflammation. It is highlighted that not just white sugar, but also honey, agave, and fruit sugars can contribute to inflammation when consumed excessively.

💡Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. The video explains how sugar consumption leads to insulin spikes, which in turn release pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to inflammation. This process is a key mechanism by which sugar is linked to inflammation.

💡Cytokines

Cytokines are small proteins that play a role in cell signaling, particularly in immune responses. In the video, it is mentioned that insulin spikes from sugar consumption can trigger the release of cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory and thus increase inflammation in the body.

💡Gene Expression

Gene expression refers to the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, such as a protein. The video discusses how sugar can alter gene expression, turning on genes that lead to the release of chemokines and incans, which are associated with increased inflammation.

💡Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome consists of the trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract, which play a crucial role in health. The video explains that sugar can negatively impact the gut microbiome by feeding bad bacteria and yeast, leading to an imbalance that increases inflammation.

💡Leaky Gut

Leaky gut, or increased gut permeability, is a condition where the lining of the gut becomes more permeable than normal, allowing substances to pass through that should be kept out. The video describes how sugar can damage the gut lining, leading to leaky gut, which is linked to inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

💡Hidden Sugars

Hidden sugars refer to the sugars that are not obvious in food ingredients, such as those found in salad dressings, yogurts, and other seemingly healthy foods. The video emphasizes the importance of identifying and avoiding hidden sugars to reduce inflammation.

💡Stevia

Stevia is a natural, non-caloric sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. In the video, Dr. Anul Gupta suggests using Stevia as a healthier alternative to sugar, highlighting it as a safe option for those looking to reduce sugar intake.

💡Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest, which is beneficial for gut health and blood sugar control. The video recommends consuming fibrous foods alongside sugary foods to slow down sugar absorption and reduce insulin spikes, thereby helping to manage inflammation.

💡High-Quality Protein

High-quality protein refers to protein sources that contain all essential amino acids needed by the body. The video suggests that consuming high-quality protein can help reduce sugar cravings and improve overall health, contributing to a diet that is less likely to cause inflammation.

Highlights

Dr. Anul Gupta, a board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert, discusses the impact of sugar on inflammation.

Hidden sugar in everyday foods is the number one cause of inflammation.

Common sources of hidden sugar include honey, agave, maple syrup, jaggery, and fruit sugars.

Sugar consumption leads to an insulin spike, which in turn releases pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Sugar can alter gene expression, triggering the release of chemokines and incans that increase inflammation.

Sugar intake can change the gut microbiome by feeding bad bacteria and yeast, leading to increased inflammation.

Sugar is toxic to the gut lining, causing 'leaky gut' and contributing to chronic inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

Hidden sugar can be found in salad dressings, often containing honey or agave.

Most store-bought yogurts contain added sugar, despite their perceived health benefits.

Instant oatmeals frequently have hidden sugars, unlike steel-cut oats.

Dry fruits, canned fruits, and canned beans can have high sugar content and added sugars.

Breakfast cereals, granola bars, and protein bars often contain added sugars.

Beverages like energy drinks, sodas, fruit juices, and punches are high in sugar.

Reading labels is crucial to identify added sugars like fructose, corn syrup, and natural sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame should be avoided as well.

Replacing sugary foods with natural sweeteners like Stevia and monk fruit can help reduce sugar intake.

Making healthy swaps, such as drinking flavored water instead of sugary drinks, can support a lower sugar diet.

Consuming fibrous foods with fruits can slow sugar absorption and reduce insulin spikes.

High-quality fats and proteins can help curb sugar cravings and improve overall health.

Reducing sugar intake can lead to mental clarity, increased energy, reduced pain, and improved thyroid function.

Transcripts

are you unknowingly fueling inflammation

in your body by eating this food

everyday basis you might be shocked to

know that there is one common food that

we all are eating that is the number one

reason of inflammation stick around

because I'm going to talk about this

number one food which is the worst food

for inflammation in your body hi I'm Dr

anul Gupta I'm a board certified family

physician in us as well as I'm a

functional medicine expert I help people

reverse their chronic conditions

especially thyroid conditions by fixing

their underlying root causes today I'm

going to expose this one particular food

which is hidden in a lot of the things

that we are eating and we don't even

know that is the number one reason of

inflammation in the body so let's get

started so what is this food I'm talking

about this food is sugar now as soon as

I talk about sugar most people will be

thinking about either white sugar or

brown sugar no I'm talking about sugars

hidden in your food I'm talking about

honey Agave maple syrup jaggery fruit

sugars sugar hidden in your other foods

that you are eating on the daily basis

all of this combined sugar is the number

one reason of inflamation now the

important thing is to find this hidden

sugar in your diet that you are eating

on the daily basis that you might be

thinking is actually healthy for you but

in reality it is harmful you don't

believe it so let's talk about about

scientific studies which have shown how

this sugary foods are actually causing

inflammation so the number one way the

sugar causes inflammation in your body

by causing insulin now your body

cannot recognize sugar from fruit or it

cannot recognize sugar from white sugar

or from honey or agave all of the sugar

when it is consumed in your body it

causes insulin Spike because your body

has to tackle all of the sugar Whenever

there is an insulin Spike happening that

releases cyto kindes in your body these

cyto kindes are pro-inflammatory what

that means is that they increase

inflammation in the body now whenever

you are consuming sugar this insulin

spike is happening and that causes the

release of these inflammatory cyto mines

over the course of days to weeks to

months this constant cycle keeps on

happening and that's the reason it

causes chronic inflammation the second

way this sugar causes inflammation in

your body by making changes to the gene

expression of your body there are

certain genes in your body which when

they are turned on causes release of

something called chemokines and Incans

these chemokines are responsible for

increasing inflammation levels in your

body whenever you're consuming sugars it

has been shown in scientific studies

that it can trigger or turn on these

genes and that's the second reason it

causes inflammation the Third Way sugar

causes inflammation is by changing your

gut microbiome we have trillions of

bacteria that lives in our gut some good

good and some bad sugar is responsible

for feeding the bad bacteria also sugar

is food for candida or Yeast we have

seen that people who are consuming sugar

on the regular basis have high amount of

bad bacteria which is called sibo and

they have high amount of candida in

their gut which is called C4 and this

high amount of bad bacteria and candida

causes increased inflammation levels in

your gut the last way sugar causes

inflammation is by increasing your gut

permeability which is also called leaky

gut sugar is toxic to your gut lining

there are protective cells called

secretory igas and other cells which are

lining your gut sugar directly impacts

the functioning of these secretory igas

and reduces their production and thereby

is responsible for causing this leaky

gut and we know that leaky gut is the

one which causes inflammation and causes

all the autoimmune conditions like

Hashimoto disase hypothyroidism Graves

disease and other chronic diseases like

diabetes and heart disease so these are

all the mechanisms or ways that Sugar

causes inflammation now the next

question is that where is this hidden

sugar and how are you consuming the

sugar on the regular basis so you can

identify it and eliminate it so here are

the most common hidden sources so the

first hidden sources is salad dressings

most of the people are eating salads on

the daily basis and they're using these

salad dressings which might say that

there is no sugar added or they are

diabetes friendly but in reality they

have other things added like honey Agave

all May PE syrup or even corn syrup

which adds to the sugar load so make

sure you're looking at the ingredient of

your salad dressings and identifying the

sugar the second most common source is

yogurts most people think yogurts are

really good because they're providing

them probiotics most of the store bought

yogurts will have some kind of sugar

added to them so that's the reason again

look at the package of the yogurts the

next healthy meal which has hidden sugar

is instant oat meals a lot of people

have been consuming o oatmeals as a

great breakfast option but you need to

know the difference between the instant

oatmeal and steel cut oatmeals the

instant oatmeals are cooked very easily

and majority of these packaged oat meals

have again hidden sugars added to those

packages so again look for that option

the next hidden source is either dry

fruits or canned fruits or canned beans

lot of the dry fruits people are

consuming they think that is good for

their health but most of the dried

fruits actually increases the sugar

content and plus lot of these dry fruit

have extra sugar added on top of them to

again make them more tasty and palatable

then your breakfast cereals and granola

bars or protein bars those are again

healthy food choices which lot of times

have sugar or sugar additives added to

them then different kind of beverages

like your energy drinks your sodas or

fruit juices or different kind of

punches all of these again have

different kind kinds of sugar that is

added to them to make them more

palatable well most of these packages

will label now these days that there is

no sugar added so how do you know

whether there is sugar added or not so

please look at the ingredient and the

things you're looking for is that if

there is any fructose if there is any

corn syrup if there is any Agave or

honey added to it or natural sweeteners

or natural sugars which are added to

your product then that means that you

know there is sugar which is added to

these products so make sure you're

looking and reading the labels very

closely most of these products will now

these days will have artificial

sweeteners like espartan added to them

we don't want that so make sure that you

are also looking for those artificial

sweeteners in the packages too now the

next question people is that then what

do we eat if sugar is hidden in

everything how do we eat a healthy diet

so here's my tip towards eliminating

sugar and eating a healthier diet so

first of all you need to replace all of

these sugary foods with natural

sweeteners like Stevia and Mong fruit we

have several research studies which do

say that Stevia and Mong fruit are

pretty safe and they're very different

from other artificial sweeteners so you

can consume them but again moderation is

the key so make sure you're consuming

them in moderate amount the second thing

is read labels it is very important

thing it is a pain taking procedure but

yes you have to go through it to read

all the labels so you know exactly which

products left sugar added to them the

third thing is that do healthy swaps

instead of drinking energy drinks or

instead of drinking sodas or juices make

sure you drink water you can add

flavored water you can add some lemon

lime cucumber so that this water is

flavored for you so one thing you can do

is that whenever you are eating

something sugary like a fruit then you

always consume something fibrous with it

fiber will slow down the absorption of

sugar from your gut and will slow the

insulin Spike so that way the more

fibrous the fruit the better it is in

that berries are good like blueberry

strawberries because they do have fiber

in them apples are also great because

they have fiber in them and along with

that you can include some nuts and seeds

you can add some peanut butter or almond

butter on your apples or on your pear

that will again give you that fiber and

will slow down the sugar absorption to

stop sugar craving the food that works

the best is High good fats which

includes nuts and seeds like pumpkin

seeds sunflower seeds almonds walnuts or

high protein meals like chicken fish

turkey or even vegan or vegetarian

sources of protein like beans lentils

and again chia seeds flax seeds so make

sure you're consuming them in good

quantities the best thing is to start

your mornings with a chia seed water

that is going to keep you full will give

you a lot of fiber and good quality

protein and you will see your sugar

cravings reducing drastically

eliminating or reducing sugar in your

diet is going to be a complete

GameChanger that is going to instantly

reduce your inflammation and also

improve how your body is functioning you

are going to feel more mental Clarity

you will have more energy you'll have

less pain in your body and your disease

processes and your thyroid is also going

to get better I hope you like this video

if you do please like And subscribe to

this Channel and please share this

information with people around you you

so we all can get healthy and benefit

from this information see you next time

take care bye-bye