Sugar is no doubt the best thing that has been found so far, be it a stressful condition or a joyous occasion, sugar finds its way to our life in one form or another.
But the sugar we consume nowadays is doing more harm than bringing any benefit to our health. The white sugar, due to its highly processed nature, in particular has many disadvantages and harmful effects on the body.
So let us find out the answer to the question: “what does sugar do to your body?”
Also we will be discussing the harmful effects of white sugar. Without wasting any time, let us delve straight into the discussion.
Table of Contents
Natural Sources of Sugar
Sugar is found naturally in almost everything we eat. From plant sources like beans, wheat, fruits and vegetables to animal derived products like dairy, sugar is found in almost everything we consume. But this sugar takes a lot of time to digest in the body, which is why we don’t feel satisfied and content after consuming these products.
The sugar which comes from these natural sources is not bad for your health. It is found to be beneficial as it provides enough energy to the cells.
Then what’s the issue?
However the problems arise when we start to consume artificial sugar in excessive amounts.
It is a difficult task to trace the sugars in man made products as there are multiple names used for it. From corn syrup, cane juice to simply sucrose, sugar has a bunch of names.
This thing is made even more complicated as some of the manufacturers tend to add sugar as a raw material as it can increase the shelf life of the products and can also help in improving the flavours of many products.
In view of the above discussion, this is pretty much adamant that we all are consuming sugar more than our body needs. This added extra sugar in our diet has many side effects to almost every organ of the body.
Side Note: Get your blood sugar( glucose) levels checked now .
Harmful Effects of White Sugar
So let us find out the harmful effects of white sugar on every organ successively.
Sugar and Brain
According to the top reviewed diabetologists in Islamabad, Dr. Tauqeer Ahmed Malik “White sugar is nowadays the most common form of sugar which is used extensively in almost every sector of the food industry.” Its production on a massive scale to it being far more economical than other forms of sugar, is the main reason behind its tremendous use.
Having said that, this white sugar is used in many products that we eat on a frequent basis. Sugar in chocolate bars or ice cream affects your brain in many ways. First of all, sugar (glucose) is the primary source of energy to your brain cells. Your brain cells may work over efficiently by consuming this sugar. This can make you hyperactive leading to mood swings.
This over and over use of sugar and mood swings can even lead to depression in adults, according to a study done by the National Library of Medicine.
Then this sugar which you are consuming is concerned with the release of a hormone called” dopamine “ in your brain. This happy hormone makes you addicted to this sugar source and you feel satisfied by fulfilling your midnight cravings by the chocolate bars.
Sugar and Heart Health
Sugar poses harmful effects on heart health as well. There are many ways in which sugar can prove dangerous for your heart health. The increased amounts of glucose in the blood needs to be converted into less toxic form by insulin. Excess of sugar means excess of insulin as well. This insulin can then affect the blood vessels. The blood vessels may lose the elasticity and there are greater risks of chronic heart diseases like coronary artery disease or heart attack.
This added sugar in the diet can also affect the heart in an indirect manner. The sugar which you consume in your diet is converted to fats by the liver. This means more deposition of fats in the liver. This will in turn increase the chances of fatty liver that can increase the chances of many other fatal diseases.
There are studies that show that excessive intake of sugar is also linked with high blood pressure. This high blood pressure will in turn affect the heart.
Sugar and Diabetes
Out of many harmful effects of white sugar, diabetes is one of them. Unrestricted use of sugar in the diet can increase the risk of diabetes type 2. This type 2 diabetes occurs when your body is either not making enough insulin to digest the glucose or the insulin of your body is not reacting against higher levels of blood glucose.
Diabetes type 2 has many other detrimental side effects on the body. There are increased chances of high blood pressure, kidney disorders and heart diseases.
Sugar and Kidney Health
Consuming a normal amount of sugar in the diet is necessary to maintain the normal blood pressure. But high amounts of glucose can lead to many harmful effects on blood pressure which will ultimately affect the kidneys. The study conducted shows the deleterious effects of dietary sugar and chronic kidney disease.
Kidneys are the organs responsible for filtration of your blood. So if you are providing them with excess sugar then this high sugar will accumulate in them. This will lead to kidney stones that will put your kidneys and overall health in danger.
Sugar and Teeth Cavities
There are chances that you already know about this harmful effect of white sugar and are deliberately ignoring to accept the reality. If you are consuming high amounts of sugar in your diet then this will provide the necessary habitat to the bacterias that can live inside your oral cavity. These bacterias will in turn cause tooth caries and cavities.
The question: “ what does sugar do to your body?” is now clear. Let us find out the required and apt amount of sugar which we should try to consume. According to the American Heart Association, women should not consume more than 6 teaspoons a day and men should not consume more than 9 teaspoons a day. The amount for children should be less than the amounts above mentioned for men and women, as excessive use of sugar can lead to childhood obesity and many other complications.
Healthy Alternatives
There is no need to cut down the sugar from your diet completely. What one should do is to look out for healthy and less processed alternatives of white sugar. There are options like honey and maple syrup that can be added to the to make up the sweet part of your diet.
Just cut down the extra added highly processed sugars from the diet.
The Bottom Line
As they say that excess of everything is bad, so is the case here. Don’t stuff your body with all unwanted forms of sugars just to get that dopamine shot. Instead think of other healthy sources of sugar figuratively. Fruits should be used instead of processed chocolates and ice creams. Don’t add extra sugar in your tea and milk. Jaggery can be used in place of white sugar. These measures will surely help you in improving the standards of your life. Make an appointment today with the best nutritionist in the area and get a custom made diet plan. To read more about health related issues, visit our website healthwire.pk.
