Signs You Are Eating Too Much Sugar
Signs you’re eating too much sugar. Have you been feeling tired lately? Maybe also gaining excess weight within a short time and have been seeking answers causing these problems? Well, if you have been experiencing these signs, chances are you are eating too much sugar.
We’ve all went through sugar cravings from one time or another but when it’s causing havoc in your life, then we must take a step back and learn the reason why.
In this topic, we are going to discuss important signs that could suggest too much sugar consumption in your life. Furthermore, also cautioning you on the dangers and steps necessary to limit the excessive sugar consumption.
What exactly is sugar?
Sugar is a general name that is given to sweet tasting carbohydrates. According to the American Heart Association article journal about sugars and circulation, sugars are simply carbohydrates that occurs naturally in certain types of foods such as dairy products, fruits, honey and vegetables.
Additionally, sugars also include additives that are commonly included in many fast foods and snacks such as cereals, pastries, and sweetened beverages.
Unknowingly to many, it’s the latter category that contains too much sugars on the body breaking it down that poses potential health risks.
What does sugar contain?
Sugar contains the atoms of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen that forms carbohydrates. These atoms are arranged to form a molecular structure that further groups sugar into simple sugars or monosaccharides, and complex sugars also known as disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
The good side of sugar
Sugar is the main source of energy for the body which comes from meals. Upon intake, it has to be broken down into glucose in the small intestine and then circulated through the bloodstream to the brain and other cells to provide energy.
The brain and the central nervous system need this energy in order to function properly.
Besides providing energy, natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables abounds in other nutritional value such as fiber that helps with digestion, antioxidants that slows down cellular aging processes, and vitamins that boost the immune system.
The bad side of sugar
As we have seen in the discussion above, sugar is a very essential source of energy and our body cannot function well without it; however, eating too much of the added sugar could pose serious health risks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eating and drinking too much of added sugar poses serious health risks such as Type II diabetes, too much weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and worse still cancer.
Other health risks associated with eating a lot of added sugar include; irritability, fatigue and painful joints, wrinkled skins and acne, insomnia, teeth cavities and lastly but not least, memory lapse.
How much sugar is too much?
If you have been eating more than 10% of added sugar of your total daily calorie intake, then you are eating too much sugar. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025), children aged 2 years and older including adults should eat less than 10% of their total daily calorie intake while children below the age of two years should never be allowed to eat added sugar at any given time.
The American women and men should consume about a tea spoon.
Foods to avoid that contain excess sugar
To prevent health risks that are attributed to eating excess sugar, you should avoid or limit drinking sugary beverages with added sugar. A CDC report titledGet the Facts: Sweet Beverage Consumption indicates sweetened beverages with added sugar are the leading source of added sugar in the US and leading cause of overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, and heat diseases. Examples of Sugar- sweetened beverages include;
- Sweetened coffee and tea
- Regular soda
- Energy drinks
- Fruit drinks
- Sport drinks
Other than Sugar-sweetened beverages, you should limit your intake of the following main foods that also contain added sugars;
- Sweetened pastries
- Deserts such as yoghurt
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Cobblers
- Candies
What happens when you eat too much sugar?
There are changes in body and health that one is likely to experience by eating too much too much sugar. These changes encapsulate signs that you are eating too much sugar. It is worth noting that individuals eating too much sugar can experience more than one sign at a go.
You crave more sweets than ever before
- Eating too much sugar conditions the brain to release dopamine that gives one a euphoric or good feeling while eating sugar. As time goes by, this becomes habit where individuals have to keep on eating sugar to keep on feeling good eventually leading to sugar addiction.
Your skin breaks out more often
2. Excess sugar intake causes body inflammation therefore affecting skin’s health. If your skin is wrinkled or you have reoccurring acne and eczema, chances are that you are consuming lots of sugar-sweetened beverages. This is because added sugar encourages skin aging.
You’ve put on more weight within a short time
3. Excess sugar not in use is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen which is then released into the blood stream when sugar level is low. However, with excess sugar intake the liver will have no space for storing sugar for later use which will end up as fat deposits in the body therefore causing overweight and obesity.
You’ve gotten diagnosed with pre-diabetes
4. Eating excess sugar causes the pancreas to secrete insulin in excess. Within no time the pancreas will be overworked which will cause it to breakdown thus leading to sugar spikes and Type II diabetes
You’ve gotten more cavities lately
5. When one eats sugar, it mixes with plaque in teeth which causes the bacteria living in it to become acidic. This will eventually cause the teeth enamel to wear out leading to teeth cavities and bleeding gums (gingivitis).
You have more trouble sleeping
6. Eating sugar in excess affects the quality of sleep. The National Library of Medicine estimates that one in every two individuals living with diabetes suffers from insomnia. As a matter of fact, stress and depression from Type II diabetes patients keeps them awake for long hours therefore depriving them of good quality sleep.
You’ve developed more joint pain
7. According to Wilding et al (2018) research about obesity and overweight, individuals that are overweight are associated with minimal joint movements and increased chronic joint pain. Additionally, too much sugar in the body is the causes inflammation of bones which will be much worse for individuals living with arthritis.
You feel tired all the time
8. Natalie Butler, a renowned author with Healthline says that eating too much sugar could be the reason that you are feeling tired all the time. The feeling of tiredness comes in when the pancreas is triggered by excess sugar to release more insulin which will cause more sugar to be removed from the blood thereby bringing about the feeling of tiredness.
You’ve developed other health conditions
9. Other than the signs that you are eating too much sugar already discussed, there are also other health conditions that individuals are likely to suffer as a result of eating excess sugar. Louisa Richards article on Impact of Eating Too Much Sugar says that eating sugar in excess causes oxidative stress and inflammation which subjects one to the risk of getting cancer.
Conclusion
Sugar is a very important source of energy for the body, but in excess can be detrimental to your health. As a result, one needs to differentiate the good kinds of sugar from the bad. Good sugar is found naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables while bad sugar comes from added sugar. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the leading source of added sugar and cause of obesity.
If you feel tired most of the time more so after a meal and have added excess weight within a short time, you should cut your sugar intake immediately to prevent health risks that are associated with eating too much sugar.
