10 Not-So-Sweet Ways Sugar Can Affect Your Health
As with anything in life, too much of anything is bad for you. This definitely applies when it comes to public enemy number 1: sugar. If you can’t get through the day without sipping on your favorite soda or munching on some delicious donuts, stop for a minute and read this article. By the time you reach its end, you’ll be a different person in terms of your sugar habits.
Don’t believe me? Then discover for yourself the not-so-sweet ways sugar can irreversibly harm your body and affect your health.
Too much sugar can decrease your lifespan
Before we get into how sugar can shorten your lifespan, we need to make something clear. Yes, sugar might be public enemy number one, but everyone deserves an occasional treat to brighten their mood, feel pampered and special. The key is to keep things balanced and eat in moderation. Otherwise, expect some negative effects from the daily consumption of added sugar.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, drinking a 20-ounce sugar-sweetened soda every day has the same adverse effects as smoking: it ages your cells by 4.6 years. These 10 Popular Foods and Drinks High in Sugar might shorten your lifespan more than you think.
Sugar can affect your insulin levels
Insulin and blood sugar spikes happen when your blood sugar rises and then rapidly falls after you eat. With the average American consuming 22 teaspoons (88 grams) of added sugar per day, which means a lot of empty calories, no wonder so many people experience the sugar rush and crash reaction even without suffering from diabetes.
What happens is that the sugar (in beverages and processed foods) is absorbed rapidly, causing an increase of glucose and insulin in your bloodstream. In time, this could cause insulin resistance and increase your risk of progressing to metabolic disorders.
Since we’re on the topic of blood sugar, you might want to avoid 7 Common Foods That Might Devastate Your Blood Pressure.
