From young toddlers to 80 years old, who doesn’t love sugar? Just thinking of a chocolate fudge cake or strawberry ice cream creates a mouth-water sensation inside you. Nevertheless, if you’re unaware of what this added sugar can do to you, you’re putting your mind and body both at risk.
Consuming sugar is good as it gives you an energy boost, but eating too much sugar can adversely affect your health. According to CDC, Americans are eating and drinking too many added sugars, which can cause health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart stroke, weight gain and obesity.
Food groups that contain added sugar are soda/energy/sports drinks, desserts, candy, sweetened tea and coffee, bread, syrups etc.
With our busy schedule, it is often hard to cook a healthy meal and we find grabbing an unhealthy snack quite easy. Foods containing added sugar are all around us. Continue reading the article to know what are the dangers associated with consuming a high-sugar diet and a few tips and tricks to control your sugar craving.
Why Do We Love Sugar?
Our body works on glucose, which acts as fuel for it. Glucose in general means sweet. Our body is hardwired to develop a natural urge for sweet stuff.
Consuming sugar triggers a chemical called “dopamine” or “happy hormone.” This creates a sense of happiness and pleasure when we eat sugary foods. Sometimes, even if the body doesn’t need sugar, it wants more. So, we start consuming more and more added sugar foods and beverages to satisfy our needs. In the end, we find ourselves addicted to these sweet delights.
The American Heart Association strictly recommends cutting sugar intake to 6 teaspoons or 24 gm for women, 9 teaspoons or 36 grams for men and less than 6 teaspoons (24 gm) and 8-ounce sweet beverage intake per week for children.
Risk Factors with High Sugar Diet
The irresistible feeling of consuming sugary foods can lead to serious health complications. So, before indulging in your favorite sugary snack, consider the following health hazards that may affect you.
Obesity and Weight-gain
One of the most serious problems Americans face is obesity and weight gain. Many factors contribute to obesity, but the use of sugar tops the list.
If you have developed a craving for sugary, processed, and starchy foods, you will choose to eat an extra snack even when you are full. Your appetite will grow unnaturally, and you will eat more junk food and start consuming sodas and other beverages. “Danger Alert!”
Now your body wants more food after every few hours. Let it be a doughnut or a simple soda; you keep eating more and more. In the end, this compulsive overeating will cause a prominent weight gain and develop a lethargic feeling in your body.
If this example resembles you, we suggest you change your eating habits and follow the tips and tricks mentioned in this article.
Lack of Memory
Taking in too much sugar causes inflammation in the brain and affects the circulation of neurons. Continuous imbalances in sugar levels may cause irritability, mood swings, and a lack of patience. A heavy sugar diet may cause cognitive decline. Your learning process becomes slower, and with time, lack of focus becomes prominent, and you may experience diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia in later years.
In a recent report by Alzheimer’s Disease International, in 2020, an estimated 50 million people were living with dementia worldwide.
The natural sugar found in honey and fruits helps boost your mental health. A cup of broccoli is far better for your memory than any processed food like potato chips, candies or syrups that contain sugar.
Risk of Heart Attack
A high-sugar diet may also have severe effects on the heart. It may cause your blood pressure to rise and increase your chances of heart stroke. Diets high in sugar cause bad cholesterol to form in your body named LDL cholesterol which can damage your arteries, blood vessels, and heart.
Sugar-laden diets produce chronic inflammation in the body, which stresses your heart and vessels. Barbara V Howard and Judith Wylie-Rosett discuss this concept in detail in their article.
Diabetes and Cancer
According to a study by AHA, the American adult consumes about 77 grams daily, more than three times the amount for women. Sugary drinks, flavored yogurt, and candies can adversely increase the sugar levels and insulin resistance in your body and lead to type 2 diabetes. Eating processed foods that contain added sugar increases the chances of obesity which may cause diabetes.
Consuming too much sugary delight causes inflammation and obesity, which may cause certain types of cancer. A study by Nour Makarem reveals that in 8 of 15 studies on sugary foods and beverages, a 23-200% higher cancer risk was observed.
Effects on Skin and teeth
Of course, we would all love to live forever, but aging is a natural process every individual goes through. Taking in a high-sugar diet can speed up the process and cause premature aging and acne.
These sugary items produce Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), which are products of the interaction between sugar and protein in your body. These AGEs can damage your skin’s collagen and effects its firmness. As a result, you have saggy old-looking skin.
Tooth decays and cavities are quite prominent when eating a surplus of sugary items. Kids taking in too much sugar experience dental issues at an early age. Cavities can cause serious pain and irritation in the gums. Some people with low calcium and sugar intake may experience premature loss of teeth.
So, if you love your skin and teeth and want to look great for longer, start cutting out extra sugar!
How to Avoid Sugar?
- Check food labels to track the amount of added sugar in your favorite foods.
- If you are craving a sugary item, try eating a slice of cucumber instead. This will help you to stay healthy and also fills up your hunger.
- Drink black coffee instead of sweetened coffee or tea.
- Use low-sugar cereals like plain porridge or whole wheat toast for breakfast.
- Eat natural yogurt with fruit topping instead of flavored yogurt.
- You can use nuts or plain popcorn as filler staples when feeling hungry in between meals.
- Instead of buying soft drinks or sugar-added beverages, pick a bottle of water. Water is beneficial in many ways. Staying hydrated may protect you against many diseases.
- Try cooking healthy meals yourself and avoid ready-made or easy-to-cook meals which have a significant amount of added sugar.
Final Take Away
Now you know how dangerous a high-sugar diet is for your health. It can cause diabetes, cancer, and heart-related disease. In addition, it can make you overweight and obese. No matter how busy you are, always choose a healthy diet. You can make a simple diet chart that excludes added sugars and includes more green veggies, lean meat, and fish.
So, if you love your health, try avoiding sugary items at all costs to stay healthy and young for a long time.
