SEO Description: Sugar may be an addictive treat, but did you know that it affects every part of your body? Read this article to learn more about the effect of sugar on your system.
Introduction
You’re probably already well aware of the fact that too much sugar intake can be really bad for your health. Yet, you still probably overdo it because sugar truly is very addictive. That’s why it’s important to know exactly how sugar affects your body when taken in excess. Pretty much anything you eat nowadays is packed with unhealthy amounts of sugar, especially if you eat processed food like candy, baked goods, sweetened dairy, and sugary drinks. Sometimes even savoury foods are packed with sugar, so you’ll be taking in excess sugar without even knowing it. It gets even worse, because it’s hard to spot added sugar on nutrition labels unless you know what you’re looking for. So, keep an eye out for names like “corn syrup”, “agave nectar”, “palm sugar”, “cane juice”, or “sucrose”. Though it may go by different names, sugar is still sugar at the end of the day. Taken in excessive amounts, it can seriously have a negative effect on your body, in a number of different ways. So, here’s how sugar affects your body, from head to toe.
1. Your Brain
Sugar is known to give your brain a sudden spike in feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which is why you probably find yourself craving it instead of a healthier alternative, like an apple. Whole foods such as veggies and fruits do not give a sudden surge in dopamine like sugar does, so your brain starts to crave sweets to get that pleasurable feeling. This makes you overdo it as you tend to feel pretty much addicted to sugar.
2. Your Mood
Eating a candy or cookie every now and then is okay, but when done in excess it can be dangerous. You get a very quick burst of energy from sugar (called a “sugar high”) as it rapidly raises your blood sugar levels. As the sugar gets absorbed, however, the levels drop and lead to an uncomfortable feeling of anxiousness and jitteriness. This is called a “sugar crash”. When you train your body to consume lots of sugar at certain periods of time, it starts to drastically affect your mood. In fact, lots of studies have actually shown that high sugar intake can lead to a higher risk of depression in adults. So, although sugar may give you a sudden burst of energy and alertness, it gives you tenfold lethargy once it wears off, rendering you almost zombified.
3. Your Teeth
You probably remember your parents telling you not to eat too much candy as a child, as it would rot your teeth. Back then, you definitely would have rolled your eyes, but now that you’re older you’ll be able to understand why your parents warned you. When you eat too much sugar, you run the risk of developing bacteria that causes cavities. This can have a very bad effect on the overall health of your teeth and mouth.
4. Your Joints
If you often find yourself suffering from joint pain, that’s a major reason to lay off excess sugar. Scientific studies have proven that sugar can worsen joint pain due to inflammation. In fact, some studies have even proven that sugar can increase your susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Your Skin
Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so it’s best to take good care of it. The inflammatory properties of sugar can make your skin age much faster. Sugar attaches to protein in your blood and makes molecules called “AGEs” (advanced glycation end products). These are harmful. It’s pretty much in the name itself; they age your skin very fast. So if you consume too much sugar, you run the risk of wrinkling and ageing your skin at a much younger age. 6. Your Liver
Excess sugar contains fructose and high fructose corn syrup. In large amounts, it can damage your liver as this is where it gets processed. When fructose breaks down in your liver, it makes fat. This can cause:
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver
Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
These are both terrible for your liver’s health, and your overall health in general.
7. Your Heart
Excess amounts of sugar leads to extra insulin, which can really affect your arteries. This causes your artery walls to get inflamed, and makes them thicker and stiffer than normal. This in turn causes stress on your heart, damaging it over time. It increases your risk of heart disease, heart failure, strokes, and heart attacks.
8. Your Pancreas
Your pancreas pumps out insulin when you eat. But, if you consume too much sugar, your body gets confused and can’t properly respond to insulin, making your pancreas pump out even more of it. This will eventually make your overworked pancreas break down, raising your blood sugar levels. This can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
9. Your Kidneys
If you suffer from diabetes, excess amounts of sugar can actually severely damage your kidney. The kidneys are important as they help filter your blood, so if your blood sugar levels rise too high, your kidneys will in turn release this extra sugar into your urine. Uncontrolled, this can damage your kidneys and stop them from doing their job properly, eventually leading to kidney failure.
10. Your Body Weight
It’s a pretty well-known fact that sugar can affect your body weight drastically. If you consume a lot of sugary drinks and candies, you tend to weigh more and also run the risk of type 2 diabetes. Large amounts of sugar inflame your fat cells, making your body release weight-increasing chemicals.
11. Your Sexual Health
Though some sweets and chocolates are considered aphrodisiacs, in general sugar can affect your sexual health negatively. A study was taken place in which it was proven that excess amounts of sugar in the bloodstream can make men impotent, and affect their ability to get an erection. This happens because sugar affects the circulatory system, affecting your body’s blood flow.
Conclusion
Now that you know about the many ways in which excessive amounts of sugar can affect all parts of your body, you may want to consider changing your diet a little bit. Having a healthy and balanced diet can really help your body, especially in the long run. If you’re looking for coaching for wellbeing, Hijama can help you in more ways than one! We have many natural, healthy alternative treatments to help you treat your body right!
Comments