From chocolates to pancakes to ice creams and brownies. Are you also not able to keep yourself from gorging on sweets whenever you see them? Well, if that is so, there is bad news for all the sweet lovers. No, we don’t intend to scare you. But to satisfy our sweet tooth, most of us indulge in foods that may unknowingly lead toside effect of high sugar intake. This sugar addiction may become too harmful and could have negative effects on health.
Side Effects of High Sugar Intake
Here are the major side effects of consuming high level of Sugar
1. Brain
Do you also crave chocolates and ice creams when you are feeling low? This is because eating sugary foods gives your brain an immense rush of a feel good hormone called dopamine. Since whole foods such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains don’t allow the brain to release as much dopamine, the brain tends to need more and more sugar to get the same pleasant feeling.
This triggers those sweet cravings which become very hard to resist. But, according to studies, effect of high sugar intake tend may lead to impaired memory and have also been linked to increased risk of dementia.
2. Mental health
By rapidly increasing your blood sugar levels, those occasional desserts will give you a short burst of energy or “sugar high”. When your cells consume that energy, you may feel anxious and nervous as your sugar levels may drop. It is popularly known as the sugar crash.
Low sugar levels can worsen anxiety and lead to fatigue and depression. According to studies, swings in blood sugar level, inhibition of neurotransmitters and inflammation may all be reasons for the harmful impact of sugar on mental health.
3. Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes is a disease which has worldwide prevalence and it’s major cause is side effect of high sugar intake which is not hidden from anyone. Although there are many reasons for this, there is a strong correlation between excessive sugar consumption and the risk of diabetes.
In response to the sugar in your blood, your body releases insulin which is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Prolonged high-sugar intake induces insulin tolerance. Insulin tolerance allows blood sugar to spike and raises the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.
4. Dental health
When You were a kid, your parents must’ve probably told you that eating too much candy can rot your teeth. Well, you may have rolled your eyes then, but they were right. Sugar is one of the major causes of cavities in your teeth. Bacteria that cause cavities are fond of eating sugar and then converting it into acid which reacts with your teeth and decays it.
5. Skin
Another side effect of high sugar intake – your skin would age quickly. Shocker, huh? Excess sugar binds protein to the bloodstream and produces toxic proteins labeled “AGEs,” or advanced end products for glycation. These molecules are doing exactly what they sound like: ageing your skin.
A high sugar diet contributes to the development of years, which may induce premature aging of the skin. AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help stretch the skin and maintain its youthful look. When there is disruption to collagen and elastin, the skin loses its firmness and starts to sag.
6. Liver
Side Effects of High Sugar Intake On Liver
It is likely that an abundance of added sugar contains fructose or high fructose corn syrup. Large amounts of fructose can damage the liver. The fructose is converted into fat until it is broken down in the liver. This can lead to two possibilities –
- Non-alcoholic liver fatty disease (NAFLD): this is seen in the liver as excess fat build-up.
- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): a swollen liver, swelling, and “steatosis,” which is liver scarring. Eventually scarring reduces blood flow to the liver. Many of these grow into cirrhosis, and may require a liver transplant.
7. Heart disease
This is the most prevalent side effect of high sugar intake. The extra insulin in your bloodstream can cause your arteries all over your body when you consume too much sugar. It allows their walls to become inflamed, grow thicker than usual and stiffer, this strains the core and over time hurts it. This leads to obesity, inflammation, high blood sugar and blood pressure levels which can contribute to heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
Moreover, people who eat lots of added sugar where at least 25% calories comes from added sugars, are twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets include less than 10 % calories from added sugar calories. Therefore it is best to avoid sugars to keep your heart healthy and safe.
8. Weight gain
This is one of the most notable and most obvious negative effects of consuming too much sugar. Obesity levels are on a stake worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, is considered to be one of the key culprits.
Some are most loved sugar – sweetened beverages such as sodas, juices and soft drinks are composed of fructose, which is a form of basic sugar. The consumption of fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose.
In addition , excessive consumption of fructose may trigger resistance to leptin, an important hormone which regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating. Therefore, it results in weight gain. Though in the past you might have shifted to a low-fat diet in an effort to lose weight, it’s necessary to keep an eye on your sugar intake.
9. Inflammation
Not many people are aware of it but sugar addiction could be a major cause of inflammation. Inflammation is one of the greatest influences on chronic health conditions. Inflammation is a common phenomenon triggered by the response of the body when it comes to battling illness or during the healing cycle.
The food may significantly lead to inflammation, which could be detrimental to your wellbeing. Many products, like caffeine, can cause the body to be in a continual state of inflammation which can trigger the entire body to behave as though it were ill. It can impact the arterial walls, cardiac rate, risk of stroke, cancer incidence, and may also lead to arthritis and other deteriorating conditions.
Eating too much added sugar can have several adverse impacts on your wellbeing. Side effect of high sugar intake can be weight gain, blood sugar issues and increased risk of heart disease among other harmful effects as mentioned above.
For these purposes, if possible, your sugar intake should be held to a minimum, which is simple if you adopt a balanced diet focused on whole foods. The only way you’ve got to calm your sweet tooth and reduce high sugar intake is taking things day by day by making small moves. Start by decreasing sugar content in your daily meals and avoid gorging on desserts as much as possible; and before you know it, your sugar addiction will become a thing of the past.
