WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BODY WHEN EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR?

INTRODUCTION

Sugar is an essential source of energy but it has got a bad reputation. It is a sweet, colorless and water-soluble compound and comes under the group of carbohydrates. Sugar is of several types such as glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose etc. Sucrose is the most type of sugar present. Fructose is found in fruits and vegetables and lactose is abundant in milk products.

Sugar, when taken in optimum amount is found to be very beneficial for health but excessive amounts of sugar can lead to various disorders such as acne, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, etc. In today’s era, people are opting for processed foods such as snacks, carbonated drinks, beverages and packed meals. These products contain added sugar and thus increase daily calorie intake of an individual.

WHAT ARE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR?

Excessive intake of sugar is responsible for various health problems and can worsen some other health disorders. Following are the various health implications of eating too much sugar:

INCREASE IN BODY WEIGHT

Obesity is one of the leading problems worldwide. Sodas, juices, beverages are sugar-sweetened drinks which are mainly responsible for weight gain. All these drinks are rich in fructose which is a type of sugar. Fructose increases hunger and appetite for food, leading to increased calorie intake. It is scientifically found that fructose cause resistance to leptin hormone. Leptin helps in regulation of hunger and stops further intake of food by the body. So these beverages don’t subside hunger but causes increased intake of calories leading to weight gain.

INCREASES RISK OF HEART DISEASE

Increased amount of sugar in diet leads to risk of various diseases such as heart diseases, which are the most common cause of death worldwide. High sugar intake leads to increased levels of triglycerides, cholesterol in blood. It also causes high blood pressure and deposition of fat in body leading to obesity. It leads to inflammation of the blood vessels and thus linked to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is responsible for heart problems like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, hypertension, etc.

 MAKES MORE PRONE TO DIABETES

Diabetes is the increased sugar levels in blood. It is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide and its prevalence has doubled in the last 30 years. When a person consumes large amounts of sugar, then it directly leads to excessive amount of sugar in blood. Prolonged high-sugar intake causes insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone which is released by pancreas that helps in lowering level of sugar in blood. This further causes diabetes.

CAUSES MORE ACNE

It has been found that foods with high sugary content are associated with high risk of developing acne. Foods with high glycemic index raises blood sugar level rapidly and leads to increased androgen levels. This causes increased oil production, sebum production and inflammation, thus play an important role in acne production.

INCREASES RISK OF CANCER

It has been found that intake of excessive sugar increases the risk of various types of cancers. High intake of sugar causes inflammation in body and insulin resistance, both of these lead to increased chances of occurrence of cancer.