It is highly addictive and it can give you cancer.
Sometimes when we’re having a bad day, all we want to do is reach out for a tub of ice cream or some chocolate chip cookies. After all, what better way is there to sweeten a bad day than with some sugary treats?
Unfortunately, the bitter truth about our favorite sweet treats is that they’re extremely harmful due to their sugar content. When taken in excess, sugar can cause great damage to our health.
Today, Evolve Daily reveals 7 Ways Sugar Is Incredibly Harmful:
1) It Can Potentially Give You Cancer
Okay, we’re about to get just a little scientific, but trust us – you’ll want to know this. Basically, sugar might be linked to cancer, because too much of it prevents our insulin from functioning. Hence, our body is unable to use sugar from the carbohydrates we consume for energy, or store it for future use.
Research has found that sugars in the intestine stimulated the formation of GIP, a hormone controlled by β-catenin – which is completely reliant on sugar levels. It has also been reported that β-catenin helps cancer cells grow. What’s more, researchers have stated that a high sugar intake might affect survival rates in colon cancer and breast cancer patients.
2) It Adds Inches To Your Waistline
If you’re looking to lose some weight, then perhaps you should cut down on all things sugary, because it contributes to belly fat.
A study reveals that consuming an excess of fructose allows visceral fat (that’s your belly fat!) cells to grow. Apart from giving you a big belly, it increases your risk of getting diabetes and heart disease.
Psst! Instead of sugar, why not munch your way to a healthier body with these fat melting foods instead?
3) It Is Highly Addictive
Similar to drugs, sugar is addictive, and strongly affects the brain’s reward centers. This is all thanks to the large amount of dopamine – your happy hormone – that is produced when you consume foods that have a high sugar content.
The more sugar we consume (when on a frequent basis, in large amounts), the more your dopamine receptors start to down-regulate. That means there will be fewer receptors for the dopamine, and you’ll end up having to consume more sugar in future, in order to reach the same level of reward.
4) It Contributes To Heart Disease
Did you know that having too much sugar can significantly multiply your chances of getting cardiovascular disease?
What’s more, excess sugar has been found to increase your risk of getting heart failure. This is due to a deadly sugar molecule known as glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), which alters the heart’s muscle protein. The scariest thing about these changes is that they could eventually cause heart failure.
5) It Causes Tooth Decay
A well-known negative impact of sugar is that it contributes to tooth decay. This is because the bacteria that joins together to form plaque uses sugar as a source of energy. So when a large amount of sugar is consumed, the bacteria is able to multiply faster, resulting in the growth of plaque. Some of it ends up getting stuck to your teeth’s surface because the bacteria turns sugar into a sticky substance that is difficult for your saliva to wash away.
6) It Damages Your Pancreas
Your pancreas is responsible for releasing insulin into the blood so as to manage your body’s glucose levels. Although your pancreas can easily release extra insulin, sugar would put additional stress on it if you consume too much at one time. In more severe cases, this would ultimately lead to pancreatic failure, or diabetes.
In the long run, diabetes can cause damage to the brain, legs, heart’s large blood vessels, as well as the small blood vessels – which leads to problems in the kidneys, feet and eyes.
7) It Worsens PMS Symptoms
This one’s for the ladies: some of you probably experience PMS during your time of the month. While you can’t prevent your period from happening, you can minimize PMS symptoms – by cutting down on your sugar intake.
When you consume sugar, your blood-sugar levels rise rapidly. Hence, worsening headaches, fatigue, as well as your ability to concentrate. What’s more, you’re more likely to have mood swings. So the next time you feel like munching on that cupcake when you’re near that time of the month, you might want to think twice.
Now that you’ve read about sugar’s harmful effect, are you going to ditch those sugary snacks? We most certainly are!
If you can’t give up sugar completely, don’t worry. You can still eat your favorite sugary treats, but remember that moderation is key – so it’s okay to enjoy your birthday cake or indulge in desserts from time to time. But of course, remember to not over-indulge!
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