Sugar is a common ingredient found in many of our favorite foods and drinks. It’s sweet, it’s addictive, and it’s everywhere. But when it comes to our health, too much sugar can be a problem. Consuming too much sugar has been linked to a variety of health issues, including weight gain, diabetes, and even heart disease.
Despite the potential health risks, many people find it difficult to resist sugary treats. Why is that? And what can we do to reduce our sugar intake? In this article, we’ll explore the science behind sugar cravings, the health risks associated with consuming too much sugar, and tips for reducing your sugar intake.
Obviously, sugar is good when taken in correct proportions and definitely bad when taken in excessive quantities. Sugars are found in a wide variety of foods and drinks. If you ever check the labels of the sweet products you buy you find the names such as glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, starch, etc all of which are forms of sugars.
7 Reasons You Should Know If You Eat Too Much Sugar
Weight Gain
The first and most important thing is weight gain. When you take excessive amounts of sugar you can see a drastic change in your weight. Sugars will eventually turn into fat in the body. One of the main reasons for obesity is by consuming too much sugar. Weight gain leads to many negative health issues. Being overweight causes health risks such as high blood pressure, heart strokes, diabetes, kidney diseases, etc. So to avoid all these problems taking a toll on your life inculcating a few habits such as exercising, keeping track of calorie intake, taking limited and correct proportions of sugars in your diet is necessary.
See Also: Diet For Kidney Stones
Diabetes
Let me explain you in simple terms, an increase of blood glucose/blood sugar level (blood sugar level is the concentration of glucose in the blood) is termed as diabetes. Diabetes is a very commonly heard of and in recent years the percentage of people having diabetes has drastically increased. Insulin is a hormone in our body which usually helps glucose gets into cells to give them energy, but during this condition (diabetes) our body does not make insulin or use insulin well and as a result, the glucose stays in the blood. Diabetes causes serious problems to eyes, nerves, and kidneys. If you have diabetes the wounds take much time to heal or sometimes don’t heal due to poor blood circulation and cause fungal/bacterial infections and require removal of the parts that cannot be healed at all.
See Also: How Good for Okra for Diabetes
Heart Diseases
Consumption of high sugary diets increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Since sugars turn into fat in the body excessive intake may raise the blood pressure and lead to heart diseases.
Acne And Early Aging Signs
After a vacation at your granny’s, holidays spent having delicious foods and sweets containing good amounts of sugars and fats cooked by grandma, it is often common to find zits and acne on your face. Ever wondered why? It is because excessive sugar intake causes inflammation as a result of which collagen and elastin (the proteins that keep your skin youthful) are damaged, it causes the body to produce excess oil and has a dehydrating effect on skin and as a result we have breakouts, zits, and acne. Another disadvantage of consuming too much sugar is we show early signs of aging such as wrinkles, dark circles, loose skin, dull skin tone, etc.
See Also: How To Get Rid Of Acne At Home
Blurred Vision
Blurred vision is a dehydrating effect due to high blood sugar and it also affects the cells of your eyes, as a result, they deform and the eye loses its ability to focus properly.
Tooth Decay
Sweet foods inarguably promote the formulation of cavities which results in tooth decay. It’s not the sugar alone that makes your teeth rot, it’s the debris from the food left in your teeth after you eat. Always make sure to brush your teeth properly and visit a dentist regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day prevents the formation of cavities. Oral hygiene is very important and plays an important role in the prevention of dental problems. Go to the Most Recommended Dentist in UAE for your next appointment, if sugar has started to affect your tooth enamel in the worst way possible.
Craving Sweet Food / Addiction
The more sugar we consume the more we get addicted to it, that’s because eating sweet sugary foods releases a chemical called dopamine. Drugs such as alcohol, nicotine or heroin send dopamine into overdrive leading some people to be addicted. Since sugar also causes dopamine to be released, though not as violently as drugs people get addicted to sugars and have vigorous sweet cravings.
Foods high in sugar won’t make you feel full because it does not contain any useful nutrients, which is why you always feel hungry even if you just ate a delicious sugary muffin half an hour ago. Since this has more negatives than positives it is advised to take sugars incorrect proportions or use alternatives such as honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc.
The Bottom Line
Avoid excess of sugar in food & beverages it may lead to various negative health effects likes, wain gain, blood sugar, increased heart diseases, etc. Try to change small changes in your daily life, be healthy. With a few simple changes, you can reduce your sugar intake and improve your overall health. By understanding the science behind sugar cravings and the health risks associated with consuming more sugar, you can make informed decisions about what you eat and drink.
