11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You

Sugar is a delicious sweet substance that appears in almost all processed foods. It isn’t always necessary but it does make you crave the same food, which is great for the manufacturers.

Unfortunately, sugar isn’t necessarily as good for you as you’d like. The simple fact is that obesity rates are climbing and added sugars make up 17% of the daily calorie intake of an average US adult.

Here are 11 reasons too much sugar is bad for you:

Diabetes

Excess sugar in your blood can cause an array of complications, combined with increasing weight it can even assist in reducing your body’s ability to use insulin. This usually results in the development of type 2 diabetes. 

If you have pre-diabetes, or type 2, it’s a good idea to speak to US MED about glucose monitoring and CGM devices. With the right diet and exercise you can prevent the development of diabetes.

Weight Gain

Sugar enters your bloodstream and is converted to energy, which is then used by all the cells in your body.

However, if you have too much sugar in your bloodstream your body will convert the excess to fat, you’ll notice the difference around your belly and across your body.

Heart Disease

Research has linked high sugar diets with an increased risk of heart disease. The issue occurs because excess sugar in your diet encourages thickening of your arteries, reducing blood flow and effectively weakening the heart, making it more prone to disease.

Tooth Decay

You already know that sugar equals tooth decay. The sugar reacts with bacteria in your mouth to create an acid which eats the enamel on your teeth, leaving them vulnerable.

Asthma

You may be surprised to discover that research shows children who drink more than ½ liter soft drinks a day are more likely to suffer from asthma. In fact, the more soft drinks they consume the higher the risk.  

Bad Digestive System

Studies suggest that a high sugar diet can change the composition of your digestive system in as little as 24 hours. The resulting imbalance will weaken your immune system and increase the likelihood of inflammation.

Memory Loss

If you eat a lot of sugar you’re likely to suffer from memory damage. Research confirms this although scientists are not yet sure of the exact connection.

It’s worth noting that omega-3 can help to reduce the damage caused by sugar.

Aging

Anyone with diabetes will age faster than someone who doesn’t have diabetes, assuming all other factors are the same. The reason this happens is because sugar binds with amino acids, aging your skin and depriving your body of important nutrition. 

Cancer

High sugar diets have been linked with an increased risk of endometrial and esophageal cancer. That’s alongside the fact that obesity is a key factor in the development of cancer.

Cholesterol

We’ve already mentioned how sugar increases your risk of heart disease. Part of the issue is caused by the fact that high sugar diets actually increase the amount of LDL cholesterol in your body. That’s the bad cholesterol.

The fact that it creates an inbalance between LDL and HDL cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and other age-related diseases.

Depression

You may think that you simply suffer from mood swings. However, a spike in blood sugar levels will put you in a good mood while low sugar levels are likely to put you in a bad mood.