Is that motichoor laddoo in the sweet shop, the glazed doughnut topped with colourful sprinkles your friend is bingeing on at a café or that mouthwatering rasgulla calling your name? If you suffer from an incurable sweet tooth like us, you’ll understand the intense conversations ‘our species’ has with that sweet dish your soul totally needs but your body doesn’t.
Even fitness freaks do indulge in a sugar rush occasionally or like to go on a sugar extravaganza during festivities. But did you know that a staggering amount of food labelled as ‘healthy’ contains hidden sugar salad dressings, granola, breakfast bars, and fruit juices to bread with fancy labels? So, it’s harming our bodies more than we realise.
Read on to find out the shocking ways that sugar is ruining your health.
Affects heart health and leads to obesity
Consumption of too much sugar leads to the formation of triglycerides, which has a negative effect on your heart health. Sugar also adds extra calories to your diet with no nutrition content, so it directly promotes fat accumulation and results in obesity.
Ruins sex life
Yes, you heard that right! Especially men, listen up! High blood sugar levels can damage the nerves and blood vessels, eventually upsetting the absorption of glucose from the blood. This reduces sensitivity, possibly leading to erectile dysfunction. And if you already are suffering from high blood pressure or low testosterone levels, your performance under the sheets could become a disaster.
Leads to insulin resistance
When we consume too much sugar, our blood glucose levels go up. Our bodies make more insulin to carry the available glucose from the blood into the cells. Unhealthy sugar makes our cells resistant to it with time, making it difficult for insulin to do its job. This can put us at the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart-related diseases.
Puts mental health at stake
It’s oh-so-comforting to reach out for a tub of your favourite ice-cream after a bad day. Sugar does give you a serotonin (also known as the ‘happy brain chemical’) boost when feeling blue but that happiness is short-lived only. After an hour or so, your serotonin level will crash again and you will land up feeling even worse.
Causes Cancer
Sugar feeds all cells in your body including cancerous cells. Research has proven that high consumption of sugar can lead to colon, liver, pancreatic and breast cancer. It speeds up the division of cancer cells.
Increases food cravings
Our excessive cravings for food are perhaps connected to high sugar consumption. Our bodies have two main hunger hormones: ghrelin, which lets you know that it is time to eat and leptin that signals that your tummy is now full. Too much sugar doesn’t stimulate these hormones, making you eat a lot without realising that you’re over-eating.
So, if you’re concerned about your health, it’s worth making the efforts to cut down on your sugar intake and cleanse your system for a fitter ‘you’!
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