You might reach for a soft drink or a biscuit without thinking twice. After all, it’s just a sweet treat. But when that treat becomes part of your everyday routine, your body starts to feel the effects. Here’s what happens when you eat too much sugar daily.
Sugar Spikes Mess With Your System
Almost any sweet you prepare is going to increase your blood sugar. So your insulin will jump into emergency measures to get this sugar down.
Over time, your cells stop responding to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. It’s an early sign that type 2 diabetes may be on its way and one of the major health risks of high sugar intake.
The CDC has found that already, almost 1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes and does not know it. These are usually daily sugar habits that produce the outcomes of all this.
Too Much Sugar Affects Your Liver and Heart
Your body can’t just use sugar and be done with it. Extra gets stored as fat, often in unwanted places. All that extra fat goes to your liver, particularly if you eat foods heavy in fructose. A deposit of this type can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sugar impacts your liver in the same way as alcohol. Whenever your liver is experiencing issues, it will almost always have an effect on your heart as well. These are common signs you’re consuming too much sugar without realizing it.
Mood Swings and Mental Fog Can Sneak In
An hour or two after your meal, not only will that high wear off, but you will also plummet. You may feel exhausted and out-of-sorts and even have a bit of brain fog rather than feel as though your head is clogged with a headache. Each of the aforementioned cycles, if they occur too often, can have a serious negative impact on your mental state.
A group of researchers writing in the journal Scientific Reports found that men who consume a large amount of sugar each day are more likely to experience depression. If you live in a state of high energy followed by an energy boost, your mood will behave similarly, with just as many ups and downs.
Sugar Speeds Up Skin Ageing
Your skin doesn’t like sugar either. When sugar sticks to proteins like collagen and elastin, the ones that keep your skin firm, it starts to break them down. This process is called glycation.
Eventually, your skin stops looking firm and smooth. The American Academy of Dermatology points out that too much sugar can age your skin faster than anything else.
It Can Disrupt Your Sleep
Sugar can be more than just sweet. It also boosts the body’s stress hormone, cortisol, which can make it harder to get a good night’s sleep long-term and mess with your internal clock.
A study has shown that people who consumed higher levels of added sugar had weaker-sounding and more broken sleep. So if your nights feel restless, your evening snacks could be part of the problem.
Hidden Sugar Is Everywhere
Baked goods, drinks, and sweets are among the most common sources of sugar. Regular food, on the other hand, also includes glucose. For example, it can be found in oatmeal, yogurt, ketchup, and even bread. If there is dextrose, maltose, high-fructose corn syrup, or cane juice among the components on the package, you should be aware that these contribute to the negative effects of consuming too much sugar.
According to the American Heart Association, a man should consume no more than 36 additional grams of sugar per day, and a woman, no more than 25. However, many individuals exceed the established thresholds without even realizing it.
The Bottom Line: Listen to Your Body
Sugar may have a pleasant flavor, but your body senses when you consume an excessive amount of it. It affects your liver, brain, skin, sleep, and more.
Perfectness is not a must for you. Improving the fuel you provide for your body, one choice at a time, can significantly affect and help reduce the consequences of eating too much sugar daily.
