8 Reasons Why too Much Sugar is Bad for Health

A few healthy food products contain sugar naturally. But sugar is used as an additive in certain foods and drinks. Consuming too much sugar is not good for health. It may lead to various health problems which include the increased risk of weight gain, diabetes and much more. Medical insurance companies in South Africa offer a number of benefits to members who suffer from problems related to weight gain or diabetes, often which is caused due to too much sugar.

Besides, the foods and drinks with added sugar do not provide any nutritional value, unlike those which contain sugar naturally. For this reason, and to avoid the bad effects of too much sugar, you should not opt for such foods with additives.

Here are some bad things that sugar can do to your health:

1. Increases the Risk of Weight Gain:

In most of the cases, foods and drinks that contain sugar are high in calories. Therefore, consuming such products may lead to weight gain. In addition, your body digests food products very quickly that contains added sugar. So, you will not feel full for a long time. It will lead you to eat more frequently and thus a great amount of calorie intake as well.

2. Maximizes Risk Factor of Getting Diabetic:

Excessive sugar consumption is closely linked with diabetes. Too much sugar consumption accelerates the risk factor of getting diabetic. Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered as the strongest risk factor for diabetes.

In addition, high-sugar intake for a long time makes your body resistance to insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas and controls the level of blood sugar. Insulin resistance causes high blood sugar level and it maximizes your risk of diabetes.

3. Increases the Risk of Heart Disease:

Too much sugar consumption may also increase the risk of heart disease. According to some researches, maybe the sugary drinks are particularly the cause of the increased risk of heart disease. Perhaps the reasons are the followings

• Drinks that contain additive sugar are high in calories

• They do not affect hunger

• Such drinks provide an insufficient level of energy

Although these reasons are linked, the direct link between excessive sugar consumption and heart disease is not found yet.

4. May Develop The Chances of Depression:

While a healthy diet plan can improve your mood, a food chart made with added sugar and processed foods may maximize the chances of getting depressed. That is why, consuming a lot of processed foods, such as sugary drinks and cakes can lead you to a higher risk of depression.

5. May Increase the Risk of Cancer:

Consuming an excessive amount of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer. The first reason is that too much sugar added foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly increases the risk of cancer.

Additionally, diets high in sugar develop inflammation in your body and can make your body insulin resistance. Both may increase the risk of cancer.

6. Speeds Up the Skin Ageing Process:

Wrinkles are natural signs of skin aging. It tends to appear on the skin, after a certain age. However, bad food choices may lead to the early signs of skin aging or speed the skin aging process, which is not desirable for anyone.

There are certain compounds known as advanced glycation end products, formed in the human body by the reaction of sugar and protein. They are assumed to play a key role in skin ageing. According to it, consuming foods high in sugar and refined carbs causes the production of AGEs, which may lead your skin to age earlier.

7. Lead You to The Fatty Liver:

A high intake of fructose is directly associated with fatty liver disease. Fructose passes through the liver. So, when you take fructose more than a limit, it is stored as glycogen in the liver, which is not good for your health. The reason is, the excessive amount of glycogen stored in the liver turns into fat. Thus, a large amount of added sugar in the form of fructose may lead you to the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD.

8. Harms Your Oral Health:

While considering the other life-threatening effects caused by too much sugar intake, it is also required to consider the basic damage caused by it. A cavity in tooth, probably it is the only damage that sugar does earlier than the other chronic damages to your body. When you eat foods or drink beverages with excessive added sugar, it sits on your teeth and causes tooth decay more powerfully than the other foods. So, limit the intake of sugar and make it a habit to brush your teeth for twice a day.

Hopefully, now you have a clear idea about the negative effects of sugar in your body. So, be careful while choosing food from next time. It can help you stay healthy and live longer.