Sugar is one of those types of food that you shouldn’t consume too much of, as it leads to weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Added sugars are much more difficult to digest than sugar in fruits, pasta, cereal, nuts, and dairy. The body can’t break down added sugars, so it stores them in the blood, where they can cause weight gain, insulin resistance, and other health problems. If you have extra sugar floating around in your blood, chances are your body will burn it for energy.
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Glucose
Glucose is the primary source of chemical energy in the body. Glucose (a type of sugar) is an essential source of energy for your cells. Your liver processes the excess sugar in the bloodstream into glycogen (a storage form of glucose). It energizes your muscles to perform everyday activities. Your muscles also use glucose to maintain their health and strength. When you eat sugar (sucrose), your body breaks it down into glucose – a simple sugar that is easy for your body to use. However, if you eat a lot of sugar (40 grams for every 100 grams of our total diet), this overwhelms the body and results in a buildup of blood glucose—this is typically called a blood sugar spike or a “crash.”
Fructose
Fructose is a simple sugar that you can find in many high-fructose corn syrup-type foods, including soft drinks, fruit juice, yogurt, bread, pasta, and many others. While many are touting the benefits of high-fructose corn syrup, including being cheaper, sweeter, and easier to transport than cane sugar, the fact remains that it is still sugar. Like other sugars, they can be either an ally or an enemy to your health. The body uses glucose for energy, but it also uses fructose to create the needed fats. Thus, your body must use even more glucose to convert the excess amount of fructose into energy, which can cause weight gain.
Overeating Sugar Can Make You Feel Tired
Even though sugar is a low-calorie sweetener, the body still needs a lot of it to function correctly. Several studies have found strong links between diets high in added sugars and a higher likelihood of several health difficulties, including diabetes and heart disease. The good news is, you don’t have to be a hard-core calorie counter to get a handle on your sugar intake. Cutting back on sugar will likely improve your health overall.
Overeating Sugar Can Lead To Obesity
Obesity is a huge problem globally, with an estimated 2.8 billion people being overweight and more than 300 million obese. While several factors contribute to the problem, a lot of the blame has been on sugar. One study, conducted by British researchers from the University of Exeter, found that sugar consumption can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 35% and metabolic syndrome by 45%. Another, conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found that high sugar consumption can cause heart disease and stroke.
The sugar in your food does much more than add a sweet taste to the dish. It can add to your feelings of irritability and mood swings. Overeating sugar will also overshoot your daily caloric needs, and when it makes its way into your system, it can upset your blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar levels are too high for too long, then you’ll find yourself feeling irritable, emotional, or angered.
Conclusion
Sugar can be a dangerous and harmful substance to your body, and it has a multitude of illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and your body processes carbohydrates the same way it processes fat and protein. Therefore, it is dangerously easy to overconsume sugar without even knowing. Excess amounts of sugar can make you obese, diabetic, and even cause heart disease.
