If you’re like a lot of people and salivate over pictures of cupcakes, cheesecake, ice cream and other “sinful” food this information could be useful to you!
Most people know that sugar is “bad” for you – makes you put on weight, rots your teeth etc. but there is a little more to it than that.
Long-Term Effects
Eating high amounts of sugar over a long period of time can contribute to the cause of a number of illnesses.
Diabetes: Sugar consumption can cause insulin resistance, which is the root cause of most types of type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a hormone which is produced in the body which allows the cells to use sugar for energy. Insulin resistance means bodies can’t use insulin effectively and therefore the cells have trouble absorbing glucose, which causes a buildup of sugar in the blood.
Heart Disease: Eating a high amount of sugar causes weight gain which in turn puts stress on the heart. The body converts excess sugar to fat which can clog the arteries.
High Blood Pressure: Excess sugar in the bloodstream disrupts blood vessel tone and can raise blood pressure.
Cancer: Sugar consumption has been linked to many types of cancers, according to various studies conducted.
Premature Ageing: It’s a bit technical to explain but overeating sugar can make the skin dull and wrinkled.
Yeast Infections: Eating sugar can bring about yeast infections because it encourages yeast overgrowth,
Short-Term Effects
What happens when you eat sugar?
When you eat food the body converts this into glucose which can be absorbed into the bloodstream and provide the cells with energy. The amount of sugar in the blood is known as the blood sugar level.
When you eat sugar and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, sugary cereal) it increases the blood sugar level. The body produces extra insulin to absorb the excess and stabilise sugar levels.
When you first eat the sugar you can get a “high” and then insulin absorbs the sugar and lowers the blood sugar level to lower than what it should be – and you get that crashed feeling of low energy. This leads to a vicious circle of craving more sugar to get the “high” and to get some instant “energy”.
The more you eat the more you crave and it really is an addiction!
The other thing that happens is insulin takes the excess sugar and stores it in fat cells which causes weight gain. This is one of the major causes of weight gain. The occasional piece of cake isn’t a problem but the consistent eating of refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, sugary drinks etc. is what causes weight gain over a period of time.
If you’ve experienced this up and down cycle of eating some sugar, feeling really hungry and craving more sugar, you’ll see why this is.
There is an answer to breaking the craving (without going cold-turkey!) – read the article How to Overcome Sugar Addiction and Stop Cravings.