Larger portion of people want to have a “sweet tooth” or an innate inclination toward sweets and foods that taste sweet while other people like spicy or tangy food. Sugar forms an integral part of almost all our diets, whether directly or indirectly. Some say sugar is one of the simplest food as it is easily broken into its basic unit glucose and readily absorbed into our body. Traditional and culinary desserts are all incomplete without the basic ingredient of sugar and this is also used in various cooked dishes. Sugar is consumed everyday despite the many health implications associated with it. The side effects of sugar are rather ignored. With health issues on the rise, we should give prior to cut down its consumption rate.
A comprehensive list of the six side effects of excessive sugar consumption is given below:
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- Increased Risk of Diabetes
Various research studies indicate a direct link between the consumption of high levels of sugar and diabetes. Food high in sugar content, syrupy food, beverages like carbonated, fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, etc. add up to the risk factor of developing type 2 diabetes. The reason for this risk factor is that the excess consumption of these food stuffs leads to weight gain and the burden of excess sugar gradually reduces the insulin resistance in the body.
2. High Glycemic Load
Glycemic Index is the method of calculating the rate of breakdown of food into glucose units in the body. Food higher on the glycemic index, thus indicate that they break down easily in the body leading to increased sugar levels and related health complications. Research studies reveal that high glycemic load leads to development of acne.
3. Heart Un-friendly
A lot of sugar in the daily diet also poses to be one of major factors for the development of heart related ailments. The excess sugar in the body is directly related with high levels of triglycerides which cause heart problems such as raise blood pressure, cholesterol, plaque formation in the arteries (known as atherosclerosis) and many more. The high sugar consumption inhibits the good cholesterol, HDL, to flourish in blood channels which can be a preventive measure against atherosclerosis.
4. Higher Depression Levels
It is a well noted fact that eating sugary food help to alleviate bad mood and depressed state of mind. This is done by the release of the “feel good” hormone called serotonin which promotes the feeling of happiness temporarily. However, an in depth look into the high level of sugar prevailing in the body reveals the opposite results. Higher levels of sugar increases depression and may also lead to behavioral disorders due to the abnormal fluctuations in the sugar levels.
5. Risk of Yeast Infection
The human body is a natural habitat to few body-friendly bacteria such as Candida, and many others. This particular bacterium is normally kept within controllable limits by the immune system of the body. But when there is excess sugar level in the body, this bacterium gets more reasons to flourish and multiply at alarming rates. This bacterial over growth paves the way for yeast infection in the body resulting in more complex health issues.
6. Cancerous Deal
There are numerous recent studies which indicate a strong relationship between cancer and sugar. It has been estimated that sugar might be a fueling agent for the growth of cancer cells in the body. Although these findings are not confirmed, there have been various studies conducted on the subject which confirm the positive relation between cancer and sugar. A study conducted amongst women revealed that women with higher sugar consumption showed higher risk of developing breast cancer compared with women who ate less amount of sugar.
Despite these adverse effects of sugar, it cannot be concluded that sugar is totally bad for health. When sugar is consumed in the form of fruits and concentrated fruit juices or pure smoothies, the body gets a huge store of glucose along with essential vitamins that is beneficial for the body. Various sources of fruit sugar ensure the supply of minerals and enzymes too along with vitamins, all of which aid in the digestion process.
Sugar is a very addictive food and it is also true that people who are addicted to sweet food find it very difficult to reduce their consumption. However, abstaining from the sugar dense food is always advisable in order to steer clear from the health complications that are bundled with it.