Whenever we think of celebrations, we end up thinking about chocolates, cakes or sweets, as no celebration is complete without them. With our taste buds craving for sweets, we end up gorging on a lot of sugary content. Even though sweets give us instant gratification, it also leaves behind a lot of health issues. And, unknowingly, we end up consuming a lot of sugar in our daily lives. But we must go for intake of sugar in the right measure which is essential for our health.
Some healthy food products like milk and fruits have natural sugar in them, while there are other harmless-looking food products like yogurt, soda, ice cream, cookies, etc., which have loads of sugar content added to them. When you combine all the sugar from all these products, your sugar intake becomes too high.
Too Much of Sweet Can Become Bitter
Sugary food leads to empty calories being consumed, without any added nutrition in them. In fact, the refined sugar has absolutely no nutrition in them. On the contrary, it ends up affecting all the organs in the body. So, it would be good to go with the recommended sugar intake so that we remain healthier. Hence you should always keep an eye on recommended sugar intake suggested by your health adviser.
Top 10 Reasons for Recommended Sugar Intake
1. It Promotes Weight Gain
These days, obesity is on the rise and it is especially affecting the children. It is mainly because of the diet that people are following. With regular intake of carbonated and soft drinks, along with candies and sweets, people are consuming empty and extra calories. With the metabolism getting messed up and insulin going up, weight gain is bound to happen. This weight gain can also lead to cardiovascular disorders. Hence, daily sugar intake for weight loss must be controlled.
2. Affects The Liver
The liver can get damaged due to high sugar diet. As sugar contains fructose and glucose, the liver metabolizes them and converts them into lipids. When there is more sugar content in the body, the liver has to work over-time, and it can in turn affect the functioning of the liver. Also, due to an increase in insulin the fat deposits start getting accumulated in the liver. This can lead to inflammation and damage of cells. You will start experiencing tiredness, abdominal problems or even jaundice.
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3. Diabetes
When you consume more of sugar, the level of insulin increases in the blood. The fat deposits start getting built up and it creates havoc in the pancreas. Once a person becomes diabetic, he slowly starts losing his immunity and becomes prone to more diseases. So, people should reduce the high-fructose diet and lessen the sugar intake.
4. Depression and Anxiousness
If you thought that sugar and sweets can liven up your lives and improve your mood, be ready to face the hard reality. It actually has a reversing effect on your nervous system. We tend to become more anxious, irritable and depressed, especially the women during post menopause. Though our brains require insulin and glucose in continuous supply for functioning properly, an excess supply of it can cause restlessness. In fact, when you take excess sugar, dopamine gets released, which makes you crave for drugs and alcohol, and you end up becoming addicted to drugs.
5. Heart Problems
In order to remain healthy, you need to have a healthy heart. Too much of sugar can be harmful to your heart. It can actually end up damaging the arteries, leading to heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. The sugar increases the bad cholesterol while tightening the arteries. This can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure. People, whose primary diet includes sugar-rich foods, have more reasons to worry, as they tend to face a higher risk of dying due to cardiovascular diseases.
6. Dental Problems
If you wish to have a good dental health, you need to cut down on sugar intake and go for the recommended sugar intake. The mouth has several bacteria, which suck on sugar. This is used for creating lactic acid, which is the main reason for decaying of teeth, increase in bad breath and other dental problems. If you eat dessert at night, do remember to brush your teeth before hitting the bed, otherwise, it can cause bad breath and tooth decay.
7. Immunity Issues
Sugar can also affect your immunity system. So, if you are feeling sick often, and are suffering from cold, and other health issues, you know where to put the blame on. When your body consumes more sugar, it takes in all the space available, leaving less space for Vitamin C. As a result, the white blood cells are not able to destroy the viruses. This results in weak immunity, and you are susceptible to catch a cold, infections and even cancer.
8. Sleeplessness
If you are wondering why you are not able to sleep well, you know the answer already. Yes, it is the sugar in the dessert that is leading to poor sleep. It suppresses the neurotransmitters, which play an important role in regulating appetite and sleeping patterns. So, if you would like to have a continuous and uninterrupted sleep, cut down on your sugar.
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9. Mental Problems
Excessive sugar can damage the mental health, by reducing the proteins of the body, which are required for responsiveness. It could lead to memory related issues. Your learning will become slower and your metabolism will get affected too. The cognitive function will get affected and the communication system inside the brains will go for a toss. In fact, sugar can become so addictive that people naturally crave for sweets and sugar-rich desserts after every meal.
10. Causes Aging of Skin
For all the beauty-conscious people, a word of caution to limit your intake. Excessive sugar intake can make your skin look old. By damaging collagen and elastin, the skin starts losing its smoothness and flexibility. So, the skin will start sagging and wrinkles will get formed.
Above mentioned effects are the main reasons you should go for the recommended sugar intake. So, next time, when you hit your favourite dessert or chocolate, just remember the harsh ill effects and stay away from them. Staying away from sugar will keep you healthier in the longer run. Your sweet tooth will only cause more damage. Keeping away from sweets will keep the doctor away.