Sugary foods are favorite foods of all people, but very few people think about the sugar level they are consuming. Apart from naturally occurring sugars in some certain foods such as milk and fruit, sugar is also added to a lot of other food products. It is in candy, soda, frozen yogurt, cookies, cakes, milk products such as yogurts, cheeses, and ice cream, etc. Because there is probably no end of the amount of sugar added in every product, people tend to eat more sugar than the recommended amount for a healthy diet. In fact, sugary foods & drinks have a tendency to have empty calories and often in excess. Besides, refined sugar contains no vitamins, no protein, no fiber, no minerals, and no other vital nutrients that are essential for your health. Sugar may affect to every organ in the body, from the brain to the digestive, endocrine, immune, and cardiovascular systems. An excess intake of sugar can damage your health from your head to your toe. So, today VKool will show you the top 10 effects of too much sugar on the body that you should know. Continue reading this article to learn more.

Top 10 Effects Of Too Much Sugar On The Body

1. Effects Of Too Much Sugar – Result In Weight Gain

One of the first effects of too much sugar on the body is to result in weight gain. With a lot of sugary beverages and products, people (particularly children) are very easy to suffer from obesity.

According to a study in The Lancet in 2001, a high intake of drinks sweetened with sugar is related to obesity in children. Moreover, a study in IJO (International Journal of Obesity) in 2006 also confirmed the role of beverages sweetened with sugar in increasing the chance of getting obesity.

In fact, the empty calories in this sweet substance inhibit the cells from burning fat and increase your insulin levels and mess with your metabolism. All those above factors are in charge of gaining weight. A sugary diet will cause the body to produce a type of enzyme called lipoprotein lipase that encourages the body to accumulate food in fat cells.

In addition, sugar also has the ability to suppress satiety and increase ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Therefore, you will eat more, mainly carbohydrate-rich foods that result in the accumulation of fat in the belly. This will lead to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Learn more: Healthy Foods For Weight Gain And Muscle Building

2. Cause Problems Related To Liver

Affecting your liver health is also the leading effects of too much sugar on the body. Sugar is completely made up of fructose and glucose, which are metabolized in your liver and then converted into lipids. Therefore, too much sugar means overwork for your liver and the overproduction of lipids, which will affect the function of the liver. In addition, high intake of sugar can cause a spike in the level of insulin in the body and result in the accumulation of fat in your liver cells. This will cause inflammation & scarring in your liver. In fact, it may increase the chance of suffering from a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease causing a few common symptoms such as extreme fatigue, dull abdominal discomfort, and mild jaundice.

According to a study in the Journal of Hepatology in 2024, consuming beverages sweetened with sugar regularly increases the risk of getting fatty liver disease, especially in obese and overweight people.

On top of this, high intake of sugar is also associated with chronic inflammation in your body, a bad factor for liver health.

See more: How To Lower ALT Levels For Liver

3. Effects Of Too Much Sugar – Cause Anxiety & Depression

Too much sugar is also related to an increased risk of irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and even depression.

To function properly, your brain requires a steady supply of some chemicals such as insulin and glucose. Nevertheless, when the brain gets an oversupply of those chemicals due to high intake of sugar, it results in restlessness & anxiety.

A high intake of sugar can also trick the brain into alcohol & drug addiction. Sugar is in charge of releasing a neurotransmitter known as dopamine in your brain, which will increase the affinity toward some addictive substances such as alcohol & different drugs.

According to a study in the American Journal, a high glycemic index diet may be the main reason for depression in many postmenopausal women.

4. Cause Sleeplessness

When talking about disturbed sleep, you may put the blame on your dessert that you ate after dinner. So, a poor sleep is also one of other effects of too much sugar on the body.

According to a study in 2024, high saturated sugar and fat and low fiber intake are linked to less restorative sleep with many arousals.

Consuming sugary foods can also suppress the activity of orexin, known as a neurotransmitter that aids in regulating arousal, appetite, and wakefulness. In addition, sugar consumption can cause blood sugar spikes, which will result in adrenal exhaustion. This will affect the quality of sleep.

Learn more: Worst Influences On Negative Effects Of Lack Of Sleep

5. Effects Of Too Much Sugar – Affect Brain Health

Affecting your brain health is one of other effects of too much sugar on the body. Excess sugar may impair the function of cognition. Too much sugar may also reduce proteins in your body that are essential for responsiveness and memory. This may cause trouble remembering things, for example, what to buy from the market or where you put your phone.

According to a study in the Journal of Physiology in 2024, a high fructose diet can affect memory and learning by slowing down your brain. High intake of sugar can also disrupt insulin signaling by attracting molecules needed for synaptic plasticity and energy metabolism. Damaged synaptic activity indicates that communication among the brain cells isn’t proper.

In addition, too much sugar is to link to metabolic syndrome in your brain, a cluster of problems that can result in the decreased cognitive function and changes to the structure of your brain.

Although it is not proven, sugar is considered to be addictive because it encourages the release of dopamine inside your brain.

See more: 21-day sugar detox PDF cookbook review

6. Raise The Chance For Type 2 Diabetes

Too much sugar is a certain factor for insulin resistance & elevated insulin in your blood, which are known as the main contributing causes of Type 2 diabetes that afflicts approximately 300 million people on the world. When you get a high sugary diet, it will result in an accumulation of deposits of fat around your liver. Over time, it will affect the functioning of your pancreas, which in turn results in the resistance of insulin. When there is the resistance of insulin in your body, the beta cells in your pancreas eventually get damaged and lose the capability of producing enough insulin.

Besides, according to a study in Diabetes Care in 2024, intake of beverages sweetened with sugar is associated with the development of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Another study published in Diabetologia in in 2024 concluded that the intake of sugar is an important determinant of prevalence rates of diabetes in the world. This conclusion is completely based on the data from about 350,000 people in 8 countries in Europe. According to a recent study in 2024, a diet high in fructose can induce dyslipidemia and adipose & hepatic tissue insulin resistance.

Read more: Ways To Prevent Diabetes Type 2 And Obesity Naturally

7. Effects Of Too Much Sugar – Bad For Heart Health

Too much sugar is bad for the health of your heart. In a point of fact, it’s more harmful than fats because sugar damages your arteries and heart, which will increase the risk of a heart attack and cardiovascular disease. The fructose in sugar will increase the low-density lipoprotein level and constrict the arteries. In addition, it also increases the levels of insulin, which will activate the sympathetic nervous system, raising the heart rate and blood pressure.

High blood pressure causes your heart & arteries to work harder, which will increase the risk of getting heart attacks, heart disease, strokes and some other serious coronary problems.

A study in Open Heart in 2024, people who take about 25% or more of the calories from the added sugars are often at a greater chance (3 times) of death from heart disease.

Learn more: How To Maintain A Healthy Heart And Prevent Disease Naturally

8. A Contributing Factor Behind Poor Oral Health

One of other main effects of too much sugar is to link to poor oral health. There are a lot of bacteria in the mouth which feed on sugar. Bacteria take fructose from the sugar in order to produce lactic acid, which will wear away tooth enamel as well as cause oral problems such as bad breath and cavities.

According to a study in America in 2003, sugar & other fermentable carbohydrates can cause the bacteria in the mouth to create acid and reduce the pH level. This will result in a tooth demineralization.

Having a dessert after your dinner & not brushing the teeth before going to sleep can harm the teeth and result in the awful breath in the morning.

9. Effects Of Too Much Sugar – Accelerate Skin Aging

One of other effects of too much sugar is to accelerate skin aging. Sugar intake results in a process called glycation, which may make you get an older look than your real age. During glycation, sugar will attach to and damage proteins such as elastin and collagen, which play an important role in giving you a flexible and smooth skin. In a pint of fact, glycation may make the skin easier to sag and then develop wrinkles. In addition, sugar can also cause inflammation in your body, which will cause wrinkles, acne, and premature aging.

Besides, the excessive intake of sugar is associated with high sugar levels in the blood, which may reduce antioxidants protecting the skin. This will make your skin easier to get sun damage, another important reason for premature skin aging.

Read more: Natural Remedies For Anti-Aging Skin Care

10. Make The Immune System Weaker

Making the immune system weaker is another of effects of too much sugar on the body. The high intake of sugar can also suppress your immune system and make you more vulnerable to get a common cold, flu & some other infections. Sugar can impact on the white blood cells by vying with vitamin C for the space in these cells. These white blood cells always need this vitamin to destroy viruses and bacteria. Therefore, the more sugar you take, the less vitamin C may get into the white blood cells, leading to a weak immunity.

A weak immunity can not only make you more vulnerable to get flu, viruses, colds, and infections but also to cancer & some other life-threatening diseases.

Learn more: How To Boost Immune System Fast And Naturally

Tips To Cut Down On The Sugar Intake:

• Limit eating baked goodies and candies.
• Eat heart-healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins in your diet.
• Keep away from processed & packaged foods that have a tendency to be high in this sweet substance.
• Opt for lemon or plain water instead of soda.
• Always read the information on nutrition on the food packaging while shopping.
• Stay away from having a sugar-loaded breakfast to start your day.
• To satisfy your sweet hobby, indulge in the sweets or chocolate with the highest quality. You may also satisfy your sweet hobby naturally with honey, maple syrup, fruits, and molasses.

Related articles:

Best Ways To Break Sugar Addiction Naturally Today

Low Sugar Foods To Eat

To get more articles associated with health conditions, go to our main Heath page. After studying our writing of top 10 effects of too much sugar on the body, hope that it can help you to know more side effects of your high sugar intake. If you know other effects of this sweet substance, please share with us now.

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