What Sugar Does to Your Brain and Body
With today’s fast food habits and obsession with sweet treats, it’s no wonder we are now seeing the effects that sugar has on our brains and bodies. It was once believed that it was fatty foods which were the major issue, but now sugar is becoming one the most widely known causes of risk to health. Even though people know the risks of consuming too many sweet treats, the food industry is still piling us with unhealthy choices that could later in life cause significant danger to long-term health. Sugar is said to be more addictive than cocaine, so this doesn’t just prove bad for health, it is, in fact, bad for your mental state too.
Take a look at some of the things that unnatural sugar does to your body and mind:
Weight gain
It comes as no shock that sugar can lead to weight gain. Even in people who exercise regularly, consuming too much sugar over prolonged periods causes weight to fluctuate in an unhealthy way. If you don’t exercise, the sugar you are consuming is turned into carbohydrates, and if not used by the body, it gets stored as fat. Excessive consumption leads to a domino effect and weight begins to pile on.
Dental health
As children we are told not to eat too many sweet treats otherwise your teeth will fall out, however, this is the same advice we should be listening to as adults also. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to cavities in the teeth and poor oral hygiene. Bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar, which in turn leads to enamel-destroying acid to build up, which can start to attack your teeth. Pairing this with infrequent visits to the dentist and not taking proper care when brushing, it could also lead to tooth loss and gum disease.
Lack of energy
Although you may get an initial buzz from eating sugary treats, this is short-lived. The highs and lows of sugar consumption cause the body to have sugar crashes, which can lead to feeling sluggish and lethargic. This lack of energy affects many aspects of your life from productivity at work, exercise habits and can also affect your sex life. If you’re not feeling energized, you’re less likely to want to exercise which could lead to premature pain in joints or muscle strains due to lack of movement, explains Rishin Patel Insight.
Mental health
The addiction to sugar is real and can leave people feeling demotivated, anxious and, in severe cases, depressed. Just like a drug, people that crave sugary treats often have to have them every day to feel energized and ready for the day ahead. This reliance on treats can then lead to issues with mental and physical health, which leads to relationship issues and health problems later in life.
Sugar consumption is on the rise, and yet although we know the health implications, there is still a long way to go before people understand that this is a real issue that isn’t going away.