You may remember your parents telling you that eating too much candy would result in rotting teeth. As it turns out, cavities and other teeth problems are just a small aspect of the true dangers of a high sugar diet. In fact, consuming even moderate amounts of refined sugar and sugar-laden products can result in some serious health repercussions.
We all love a sweet treat from time to time, but it’s important to be familiar with the potential risks, in order to make educated decisions about what to limit and when. Here are 5 health issues that have been linked to diets high in sugar.
Heart Disease
People who eat a lot of refined sugar typically have high levels of triglycerides in their blood, which are known to increase the risk of heart disease. High sugar diets also tend to coincide with low HDL cholesterol levels too, which are actually good for you.
Candida
The healthy bacteria in your gut help to keep natural (and healthy) levels of yeast in check. But added sugar in the diet makes it hard for the bacteria to do its job because it feeds the yeast, more often than not creating an overgrowth that’s referred to as Candida.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is an ailment that puts so much stress on the body that it can lead to other serious problems like nerve damage, blindness, and even the need for amputations. Added sugar in the diet on a regular basis can result in pre-diabetes symptoms that start to wreak havoc on the body quickly. If pre-diabetes is left untreated, a diagnosis for type 2 diabetes is just around the corner.
Cancer
Many health professionals believe that cancer thrives on processed foods and foods high in sugar. In fact, sugar is used to help detect cancer. This is done by giving a sugary solution to patients before a PET test is taken to help find the presence of cancer. Once the solution is digested in the blood system, a PET scan is done to see what areas of the body are using up the most glucose from the solution. The areas that like the sugar most are considered possible malignancies.
A Weakened Immune System
Sugar puts a lot of stress on the body overall, weakening the immune system and causing body-wide inflammation. In short, the immune system tends to look at sugar as an offender and works to fight against it as it digests. This means that it can’t focus on the important aspects of keeping your body clean and minimizing radical damage that we come in contact with in our everyday lives.
As you can see, consuming a diet filled with refined sugar can be dangerous to your health. To break or reduce your sugar habit, try replacing soda with sparkling water. Start reading the labels on everything in your home. You’ll probably be very surprised at all the places added sugars are hidden in your everyday diet. And next time you have a sweet tooth, reach for a piece of fruit instead of a cookie.
As always, please feel free to consult the staff at [company_short] with any health-related questions. We’re happy to help!