10 Ways Sugar Harms Your Health: Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are utilized in food. Simple sugars also termed monosaccharides, contain glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars sometimes termed disaccharides or double sugars, are molecules comprised of two monosaccharides connected by a glycosidic bond.
When it comes to health, sugar has a mixed reputation. Sugar is found naturally in all carbohydrates-containing foods, including fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consumption of complete foods containing natural sugar is acceptable. Additionally, plant foods are abundant in fiber, vital minerals, and antioxidants, while dairy foods are high in protein and calcium.
Because these foods are slowly digested by your body, the sugar in them provides a consistent supply of energy to your cells.
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Sugar consumption, experts say, is a major contributor to obesity and a variety of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
10 Ways Sugar Harms Your Health
Here are some reasons why consuming an excessive amount of sugar is detrimental to your health:
1. Sugar promotes the aging process
It even adds to drooping skin, a telltale indication of age. After entering your bloodstream, some of the sugar you consume attaches to proteins through a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the elasticity loss observed in aging body tissues, from the skin to the organs and arteries. The more sugar in your blood, the more quickly this damage occurs.
2. May Contribute to Weight Gain
Obesity rates are increasing globally, and added sugar, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, is believed to be a major contributor.
Carbonated beverages, juices, and sweet teas are high in fructose, a form of simple sugar.
Consuming fructose, the primary form of sugar found in starchy foods, increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose.
Additionally, excessive fructose consumption may result in leptin resistance, a critical hormone that regulates hunger and signals the body to cease eating.
In other words, sugary beverages do not satisfy hunger, making it easier to consume a large amount of liquid calories in a short period of time. This could result in weight gain.
People who consume sugary beverages, such as soda and juice, consistently weigh more than those who do not. Additionally, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with an increased amount of visceral fat, a type of deep belly fat associated with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
3. Sugar contributes to tooth decay.
Tooth decay, or ‘dental caries,’ occurs when acid in the mouth attacks the enamel and dentine of the teeth, resulting in the formation of holes or cavities. The acid is created by bacteria found in plaque – a sticky, thin coating that builds across the teeth on a regular basis. When sugar is ingested, it reacts with the bacteria found within the plaque, resulting in the production of acid. This acid causes tooth decay by gradually dissolving the enamel, resulting in holes or cavities in the teeth. Tooth deterioration can result in tooth abscesses, which may necessitate tooth extraction.
4. Sugar exacerbates stress.
Sugary foods might cause a person’s strength to deteriorate. the body’s capacity to respond to stress.
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Sugar can help you feel less frazzled by lowering your brain’s hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates your stress response.
5. Increases Your Chances of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your body is unable to adequately utilize the energy from diet. Insulin (a hormone) is produced by your pancreas to assist your cells in utilizing glucose (sugar). However, over time, your pancreas produces less insulin and the cells become resistant to it. This results in an abnormally high level of sugar in your blood. Type 2 diabetes can cause major health complications such as heart disease, stroke, or death.
6. Sugar is used in place of vital nutrients
Sugar consumers get the fewest vital nutrients––particularly vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
7. Sugar can cause gum disease
When you have diabetes and have high blood sugar, your saliva surrounding your teeth and behind your gums contains more glucose. This promotes the growth of dangerous bacteria and plaque. Plaque causes irritation to the gums and can result in gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss. Gum disease causes bleeding, redness, and swelling of the gums.
8. Sugar impairs immunological function
Sugar surges have been demonstrated to inhibit the immune system. When your immune system is weakened, you are more susceptible to illness. If you consume a lot of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages or refined carbs, which the body converts to sugar, you may be weakening your body’s ability to fight disease.
9. Sugar can contribute to fatty liver
It can also be detrimental to your liver. The organ produces fat by utilizing a form of sugar called fructose. Consuming an excessive amount of refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup results in a fatty accumulation that can progress to liver disease. According to some research, sugar can be just as harmful to the liver as alcohol, even if you are not overweight.
10. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar may increase your risk of depression
Food has a number of different effects on your mood and emotions. When you’re hungry and in need of food, it’s natural to feel cranky, agitated, or even angry. After a delectable dinner, you may experience feelings of elation and euphoria.
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Additionally, the food you consume might have a long-term effect on your health. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar may increase your chance of developing mood disorders, including depression.
Sugar is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Additionally, it is found in refined meals such as pasta, cakes, baked goods, bread, soda, and sweets.
Consuming an excessive amount of simple sugars may increase your risk of depression, mental disorders, and a variety of chronic health problems.
