Why Is Sugar Bad for You?

There is no question that sugar does not add any nutritive value to your daily regime yet we crave it and flock to its sweetness just like bees are to honey. Sometimes just even reading about sugar makes us crave it. We do need some form of sugar as fuel to keep our bodies going but white processed sugar does not bring much to the table. Sugar is bad because some people just don't know when to stop.

Why Is Sugar Bad for You?

Although sugar is needed to support our life, too much of it can cause problem and are bad for us. Sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk, is perfectly healthy. It's the added sugar put into foods during processing, like cupcakes, candy, and ice cream, that you should avoid. Here are over 10 reasons why sugar is bad for us.

1. Contain No Nutrients

Sugar is bad for you because it contains empty calories and has no nutritional value, but there are plenty of other reasons as well. If a person eats too much sugar, like 10% to 20% of their daily calorie allotment, he can end up deficient in many important nutrients.

2. Mess Up with Your Blood Glucose Levels

Sugar can drive glucose levels up and down and the side effects of this roller coaster include headaches, mood swings, fatigue, and more cravings for sugar. Those cravings actually prolong the cycle which could continue on indefinitely. The good news is that if you stay away from sugar you will soon not crave it at all. The less you consume, the less you want more of it.

3. Undermine Your Overall Health

  • Sugar can also wreak havoc with your teeth as it feeds into the bad bacteria that exist in your mouth, causing tooth decay and other oral issues.
  • Too much sugar has been found to increase your chances of becoming obese, having heart problems, becoming diabetic and developing several types of cancer. High-glycemic foods have an immediate reaction to blood sugar levels: the higher the index, the quicker the sugar gets into your bloodstream and leaves you in a slump.
  • High uric acid levels lead to kidney diseases.

4. Raise Stress Levels

Why is sugar bad for you? It stresses you out. Stress hormones like epinephrine, cortisol and adrenaline are due to the fight-or-flight response of the body, meaning they prepare the body for a fight or an escape. When your blood sugar levels are low, your stress hormones come into action and increase your blood sugar levels, giving you a quick energy boost. But these beneficial hormones can make you shaky, irritable and anxious.

5. Overload Your Liver

Your body processes sugar in the same way that it does alcohol. The sugar and fructose all heads to your liver to get processed. So a high sugar intake can put extra stress on the liver and cause liver damage, which harms the microvascular vessels in kidneys that hampers the way the kidneys excrete salt, minerals, harmful waste, protein, blood pressure and fluid balance.

6. Cause Insulin Resistance

The extra intake of sugar and fructose trick your metabolism by shutting down your appetite control system. It ceases to stimulate insulin and that in turn suppresses the hunger hormone, ghrelin, which stops stimulating the satiety hormone, leptin. All of these lead to excessive eating, weight gain and insulin resistance.

7. Lead to Metabolic Dysfunction

Why is sugar bad for you? Metabolic dysfunction may occur. When you consume too much sugar, your body experiences the symptoms of classic metabolic syndrome, which consists of abdominal obesity, elevated blood sugar, weight gain, elevated triglycerides, decreased levels of HDL and an increased level of LDL. You will also experience high blood pressure.

9. Cause You to Become Overweight

Sugar is one of the leading causes of being overweight. Insulin is the hormone that stores our fat and sugar drives it. Half of our sugar intake is fructose which does not deliver the signal that tells us to stop eating and drinking. Many people become addicted to sugar which means they will continue to overeat. Consequently, they gain more and more weight.

10. Worsen Your Skin

If you are looking for a clear complexion, cut down on your sugar consumption. Sugar increases inflammation, suppresses your immunity, and increases oil and sebum on face, leading to acne and other skin issues.

11. Other Reasons

Here are 6 more answers to the question. "Why is sugar bad for you?" which are listed below:

  • The combination of high sugar levels and insulin levels results in a condition that is called IGF-1, insulin like growth factor. This condition has been said to promote tumor cell proliferation and inhibit cancer therapy.
  • Sugar has an effect on your immune system that cuts down on your chance of fighting infections. It also reduces the important nutrients that you need to keep your immune system healthy.
  • The chemicals controlling mood run on sugar, especially the low glycemic carbohydrates. A stable blood sugar level is vital in maintain your mood. The more uneven your blood sugar levels are, the more uneven your mood will be. So it's vital to maintain a stable blood sugar level.
  • Salt has always been blamed for high blood pressure but research has shown that it is sugar that is really to blame for cardio metabolic risk and hypertension.
 
 
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