You'll find sugar in almost every packaged product, frombottled sauce to peanut butter, and there are many products you wouldn't expect with added sugar. For example, most fast food contains a very high amount of added sugar, so it's equal to a lot of calories. Many studies show that Americans get 14% of their calories from added sugar. Doctors and experts recommend not exceeding 10% of your daily calories from added sugar, because sugar is the main cause of obesity and many other diseases. So if you want to know the risks of sugar, follow this article with us.
First reason: It causes weight gain
Rates of obesity are rising a lot every day and many doctors think that Added sugar in fast food and sweetened drinks Like sodas, they are a main cause. Fructose raises your constant hunger and makes you always want more sugar. This causes too much weight gain and also eating lots of sugar builds up belly fat. That fat leads to diseases like diabetes and heart diseases.
Second reason: Raises risk of heart disease
High sugar diets are linked to a big risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, These are main causes of death worldwide because they cause a big increase in triglycerides in the body and blood sugar levels. People who eat more added sugar have 8% higher risk of heart disease than others. Also, foods with lots of sugar causesome triglycerides to settle in the arteries, leading to hardening of the arteries and other diseases.
The third reason: the appearance of acne
Eating a lot of refined carbs with added sugar is linked to many acne outbreaks, also processed sweets with a high glycemic index, Because these foods boost the body's secretion of androgen, which causes lots of inflammation in the body, For this, many dermatologists suggest stopping processed sweets and fast food as a first step to treat acne.
The fourth reason: it increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes
The number of cases has doubled Of type 2 diabetes worldwide in the last 30 years, For various reasons, but the main one is consuming too much sugar in the diet, which leads to insulin resistance, a key signal for the chance of diabetes and then more health issues. A bad habit many girls have is Drinking soda daily, because it has a lot of sugar, and also adding sugar to fruit juices, since some girls think that drinking fruit juices with added sugar is healthy drinks but they are as harmful as soda drinks.
Fifth reason: raises the risk of cancer
Girls eating sugar puts a person’s life at risk of getting some types of cancer diseases like esophagus cancer and small intestine cancer, There are many studies proving that women who eat cake and cookies more than 3 times a week are more likely to get uterine lining cancer. The link between cancer and sugar is very complex and there are many studies on it, so it can’t be understood all at once.
Sixth reason: increases risk of depression
Most girls know eating healthy helps your mood and mental health. Confirming this, foods high in added sugar like sweets, cake, and cookies cause blood sugar to be unstable and mess with brain chemicals. Makes a person's mood bad and very unstable, which could put them at risk of depression.
Seventh reason: Speeds up signs of aging
Wrinkles and other aging signs show up over time no matter how healthy and clean your diet is, but There are some healthy habits that help cause early appearance, like the interaction between protein and added sugar, whether in sweets or refined carbs. These reactions reduce collagen and elastin in the body, leading to sagging and wrinkles. So nowadays many girls follow diets with low carbs, which helps them have better skin in the long run.
Eighth reason: Drains your energy
Eating lots of foods high in added sugar causes A sudden spike in insulin levels in the body This can make you feel energetic and active, but this feeling is temporary because insulin levels drop just as fast. So you end up feeling tired and lazy. This phase is called the crash. Your body feels like it needs more sugar, and the cycle continues. So you should eat fiber-rich foods that keep you full longer. Eat healthy fats because they are an important energy source and help keep blood sugar stable. For example, one apple and some almonds make a healthy meal and give you energy to keep going with your daily activities.
The ninth reason: It causes fat buildup around the liver
Eating a large amount of fructose is always linked to fat buildup around the liver, which is called fatty liver. Fructose isn’t broken down by many cells in the body. only the liver breaks it down. The liver uses the amount the body needs and stores the excess as glycogen, which later turns into fat around the liver.
The tenth reason: It weakens the body's immune system
Sugar causes weakening of the body's immune system because There are many types of bacteria that feed on sugar which helps them grow and become a big burden on the immune system. This is one reason for many inflammations in the body.
Eleventh reason: other health risks
There are some indirect risks caused or increased by high blood sugar such as:
1- High and low blood sugar levels can damage the kidneys, making them prone to many diseases.
2- Affecting dental health, like tooth decay and enamel erosion because of many bacteria in the mouth.
3- Increased chance of getting gout, a joint inflammation disease. As mentioned, high blood sugar leads to many inflammations in the body.
4- Diets high in sugar cause long-term memory weakness and damage in some brain tissues.
How can we reduce sugar in our diet?
You should cut down the amount of sugar you consume daily. Here are some steps that can help you do that. Try to follow what you can:
1- Replace sodas with water or unsweetened herbal drinks like mint, anise, and cinnamon.
2- Use stevia sugar to sweeten some of your daily drinks. It doesn't raise insulin levels in the blood.
3- Make fruit yogurt at home without adding sugar instead of buying it because store-bought yogurt has a high amount of sugar.
4- Eat dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate or make milk chocolate at home.
