The Dangers of Sugar to Your Health
You already know refined sugar is bad for you—but do you know exactly how high the dangers of sugar are to your health? Basically, it’s an anti-nutrient that doesn’t do anything to benefit the body. AND it can be as addictive as a drug!
When white sugar is stripped from it’s sugar cane, it’s processed until all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals are removed, which leaves just sugar. This is a problem because it means there’s nothing good left to benefit your body.
Even though plain white sugar is crap, the average person still consumes 46 teaspoons of the stuff every single day. Per year, that’s a whopping 175 pounds per person! Whoa.
So, before you pick up that can of soda, you might want be aware of these things plain sugar does in your body:
Creates False Hunger
Eating or drinking white sugar gives you a temporary blood sugar spike… followed by a crash. Then you feel hungry because you need energy to feel normal again, which causes you to overeat. This is bad news for those trying to reach a healthy weight because sugar makes you think you’re hungry when you aren’t—you’re just tired from the sugar crash!
Weakens Your Bones
The acidity of sugar pulls crucial nutrients—like calcium, copper, and magnesium—from your bones. This is really bad because it can cause osteoporosis and weakened teeth, and that means a greater chance of cavities.
Promotes Aging
When your insulin levels are elevated consistently, it creates advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. This is what happens when you eat sugar.
AGEs are shown to be a factor in aging and in the worsening or development of degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Therefore, sugar can contribute to aging in your body and in your mind.
(On the flip side of this, some studies show that consuming omega-3 fatty acids helps prevent Alzheimer’s and aging. Mimi’s Omegas gives you a healthy, high-quality dose of these healthy fats. You can order them here.)
Becomes Fat in the Body
That’s right: excess sugar is stored as fat. When your liver can’t store any more because you’ve eaten too much, the sugar is converted to fat that shows up on your thighs, stomach, backs of the arms, and hips.
Other Dangers of Sugar
Unfortunately, there are even more side effects of consuming too much sugar. It’s overconsumption can lead to the following problems and more:
- constipation
- varicose veins
- ADD
- ADHD
- hormonal imbalances
- depressed immune system
- emotional instability
- depression
- increased cancer risk
Cutting Back on Sugar
The food industry is sneaky, and sugar can be found in a lot of things, from sauces and ketchup to “healthy” protein bars. Start becoming more aware of the sweeteners in foods you eat every day. Read labels and look for items with little or no sugar ingredients.
Even better, avoid many packaged foods and meal prep at home! That way, you know what’s going into your food each meal.
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