Sugar, in my opinion, is one of the most damaging substances that you can ingest – and what’s terrifying about it is that it’s just so abundant in our everyday diet. This intense addiction to sugar is becoming rampant, not just among adults, but in children as well.
Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology in the University of California and a pioneer in decoding sugar metabolism, says that your body can safely metabolize at least six teaspoons of added sugar per day.
But since most Americans are consuming over three times that amount, majority of the excess sugar becomes metabolized into body fat – leading to all the debilitating chronic metabolic diseases many people are struggling with.
Here are some of the effects that consuming too much sugar has on your health:
- First, you should know that too much sugar overloads and damages your liver. The experts say that the negative effects of too much sugar or fructose can be compared with the effects of alcohol. All the sugar you eat gets “transferred” to the only organ that has the transporter for it – your liver. The experts say that this process severely taxes and overloads the organ, leading to potential liver damage.
- You should also know that sugar can trick your body into gaining weight and affects your insulin and leptin signaling. And, sugar “tricks” your metabolism by turning off your body’s appetite-control system. It fails to stimulate insulin, which in turn fails to suppress ghrelin, or “the hunger hormone,” which then fails to stimulate leptin or “the satiety hormone.” And, this makes you eat more and develop insulin resistance.
- This is also very important for you to know – sugar also causes metabolic dysfunction. Eating too much sugar causes a barrage of symptoms known as classic metabolic syndrome. These includes weight gain, abdominal obesity, decreased HDL and increased LDL, elevated blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, and high blood pressure.
- Too much sugar also increases your uric acid levels. And, you should know that high uric acid levels are a risk factor for heart and kidney disease. The connection between fructose, metabolic syndrome, and your uric acid is now so clear that your uric acid level can now be used as a marker for fructose toxicity. A recent study has discovered that the safest range of uric acid is between 3 to 5.5 milligrams per deciliter. If your uric acid level is higher than this, then it’s clear that you are at risk to the negative health impacts of fructose. So, this is a good reason why you should avoid eating sugar and sugary stuff and avoid drinking soda drinks, which are loaded with sugar!
Now, let’s see if you’re eating too much sugar. Here are eight telltale signs that you are!
- You constantly crave sugary things.
This is very important for you to know, and I really think that most of you already know this – the more sugar you eat, the more you’ll crave it. The famous author, Brooke Alpert, M.S., R.D., author of The Sugar Detox: Lose Weight, Feel Great and Look Years Younger says that more cravings then equal consuming more sugar—it becomes a vicious and addictive cycle. And, you should know that this isn’t just because your taste buds have adapted and left you needing more and more to get that same taste, but also because of how sugar gives you a high followed by a crash, just like an actual drug. She also mentioned that by eating a high sugar diet, you cause a hormonal response in your body that’s like a wave, it brings you up and then you crash down and it triggers your body to want more sugar.
- You feel sluggish throughout the day.
And don’t forget – what goes up must come down, right? Which means that sugar causes an initial spike of insulin and that “high” feeling, it causes an inevitable crash. Brooke Alpert says that energy is most stable when blood sugar is stable, so when you’re consuming too much sugar, the highs and lows of your blood sugar lead to highs and lows of energy. And, you should know that eating a lot of sugar also means it’s likely you’re not eating enough protein and fiber, both important nutrients for sustained energy.
- Your skin won’t stop breaking out.
Rebecca Kazin, M.D., of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and the Johns Hopkins department of dermatology says that some people are sensitive to getting a spike in insulin from sugar intake, which can set off a hormonal cascade that can lead to a breakout like acne or rosacea. A yes, you should also know that sugar binge can show up on your face in just a few days. So, if your skin’s unruly, she recommends reassessing your diet, otherwise “you may be treating skin for other issues without getting to the bottom of what’s really going on.”
- You’re way moodier than usual.
The experts also mentioned that the blood sugar crash that happens when you’re coming off a sugar high can cause mood swings and leave you feeling crabby. And, if your energy is also tanking, that just contributes to a bad attitude.
- You’ve been putting on some weight.
Well, excess sugar usually means excess calories! We all know that sugar has no protein or fiber, which means that it doesn’t fill you up – so you just keep eating it. This substance also triggers the release of insulin, a hormone that plays a big role in weight gain. How this works – well, when we eat sugar, the pancreas releases insulin, which carries sugar to our organs so it can be used for energy. When you load up on sugar, your body’s told to produce more insulin—over time, that excessive output can lead to insulin resistance. And, the experts say that insulin resistance means our bodies can’t respond to normal amounts of insulin properly and therefore can’t use sugar the right way. The initial weight gain from simply eating too many calories from sugar is being compounded by the disruption to your normal insulin response (there’s a link between insulin resistance and obesity). And, the worst thing about is that when the pancreas works in overdrive for too long you can develop diabetes.
- You’ve been getting more cavities.
Here’s what you need to know – well, when bacteria chow down on food particles in between the teeth, acid is produced, which causes tooth decay. The human saliva maintains a healthy balance of bacteria on its own, but eating sugar can impact the pH and throw off the natural ecosystem. This gives the bacteria a chance to thrive and multiply, leading to cavities.
- Your brain tends to get foggy, especially after a meal.
The experts say that this is a common symptom of low blood sugar levels. So, when you eat a lot of sugar, your blood sugar levels rapidly rise and fall instead of gradually doing so. Brooke Alpert says that poor blood sugar control is a major risk for cognitive issues and impairment.
- Nothing tastes as sweet as it used to.
You’ll be shocked when we tell you that eating too much sugar will basically bombard your taste buds. And, you should also know that this sugar overkill causes your taste bud sugar tolerance to go up, so you need more and more sugar to satisfy that sweet craving. So, when your taste buds need lots of sugar to feel like something is sweet enough, it can be tough to lower your base level. However, it you cut back and suffer through it in the beginning, you’ll eventually lower your tolerance again and be content with minimal sugar. The experts also mentioned that you might even start to feel like things are too sweet for you! We really hop you find this article helpful and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. Thank You and have a good one!
Source: healthylifetricks.com