Sugar is a vital source of energy and essential to our survival. But of course not all the sugars are the same. Sugar found in fruits and vegetables is fructose while that is found in daily products is lactose. These are natural sugars that are not much dangerous as compared to added sugars which are found in processed food and most of us consume too much of them.
Chances are you already know that eating too much sugar isn’t good for you. Yet you’re probably still overdoing it. Americans average about 270 calories of sugar each day, that’s about 17 teaspoons a day, compared to the recommended limits of about 12 teaspoons per day or 200 calories.
Your Brain
Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine, which explains why you’re more likely to crave a candy bar at 3 p.m. than an apple or a carrot. Because whole foods like fruits and veggies don’t cause the brain to release as much dopamine, your brain starts to need more and more sugar to get that same feeling of pleasure. This causes those “gotta-have-it” feelings for your after-dinner ice cream that are so hard to tame.
Your Mood
The occasional candy or cookie can give you a quick burst of energy (or “sugar high”) by raising your blood sugar levels too fast. When your levels drop as your cells absorb the sugar, you may feel jittery and anxious (a.k.a. the dreaded “sugar crash”). But if you’re reaching into the candy jar too often, sugar starts to affect your mood beyond that 3 p.m. slump: Studies have linked a high sugar intake to a greater risk of depression in adults.
Your Teeth
You probably rolled your eyes at age 12, but your mother was right, candy can rot your teeth. Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar lingering in your mouth after you eat something sweet.
Your Joints
If you have joint pain, here’s more reason to lay off the candy. - eating lots of sweets has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation they cause in the body. Plus, studies show that sugar consumption can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Your Skin
Another side effect of inflammation - it may make your skin age faster.
Your Liver
An abundance of added sugar likely contains fructose or high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is processed in the liver and large amounts can damage the liver.
Your Kidneys
If you have diabetes, too much sugar can lead to kidney damage. The kidneys play an important role in filtering your blood. Once blood sugar levels reach a certain amount, the kidneys start to release excess sugar into your urine. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can damage the kidneys, which prevents them from doing their job in filtering out waste in your blood. This can lead to kidney failure.
Disadvantages of Excess Sugar:
Increase Hunger:
If you are consuming extra calories by sugar increased hunger is the first sign because sugar satisfies only your taste buds does not fill your stomach.
Acne and Wrinkles:
If you are facing acne issues then with other factors you should also notice how much sugar you are consuming because excess sugar promotes the development of acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, wrinkles may be another sign that you are consuming too much sugar. Excess sugar encourages the skin aging process faster.
Joint Problem:
Consuming too much sugar can increase your joint and bone problems. According to our research, people who eat more sweet desserts and cold drinks sweetened with sugar are at a greater risk of arthritis.
Sleep Problem:
According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, poor sleep quality is significantly related to higher consumption of added sugar. High sugar level disturbs the sleep cycle and sleeps quality.
Brain Fog:
Problems with mental clarity, focus, concentration, and memory could be the result of consuming too much-added sugar.
Dental Issues:
Bacteria in the mouth like to feed on simple sugar. So, if your dentist is finding more cavities or you are suffering from gum disease it could be that you are eating too much-added sugars. According to research, consuming milk and dairy products, apple's canned berries high fiber fruit may prevent cavities.
Sugar Addiction:
The use of extra sugar makes your sugar addict because sugar targets the brain's pleasure center that caused a rise in happy harmony dopamine so an increase in the dopamine cause sugar addiction.
Food Does not Taste Sweet:
If you are getting too much sugar then you notice that foods don't taste as sweet as they are. So you continue to add more sugar this is because you train your brain to a very high level of sweetness and you would not satisfy with less sweet foods.
Stay healthy, stay aware and remember me in your prayers.
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