The Effect Of Sugar On The Body

You know what fructose is right? It’s the element within that ordinary table sugar that we heap on top of our Cheerios, and it’s found in “added sugars”. So, fructose triggers your liver to store fat more efficiently, and in weird places. Over time, a diet high in fructose could lead to fat building up around your liver, a precursor to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, something rarely seen before 1980. Unless, you don’t want to say you couldn’t fit into those pants because you had a fat liver, skip that daily sweet tea run.

Ever heard someone say they’re an “emotional eater”, well usually it involves lots of sugar and sweet yummy treats. Reaching for sugar to feel better or forget something is actually creating the opposite effect within our body, and most people don’t even know it. Public Health Journal did a study involving nearly 9,000 people to try and discover a link between depression and sugar or fast food. After six years, the junk food junkies faced a nearly 40% greater risk of developing depression. Looks like the brain releases lower levels of feel-good dopamine when competing with those yummy white crystals. Not so yummy anymore, eh?

You know that wall we talked about? Well, when you grab a chocolate candy bar and get that brief jolt of energy, you feel like you’ve made the right choice, like you can conquer the world. Nope! Soon that jolt is replaced by ceaseless fatigue. Science says it takes just 30 minutes or less to go from a sugar rush to a full-on sugar crash. This just sets you up to want more sugar—a vicious cycle. Let’s add insult to injury shall we? Sugar also triggers the release of serotonin, a sleep regulator. Ugh! Good-bye energy, hello walking dead!

Anytime sugar is ingested, it sets off a release of chemicals to the brain’s pleasure center, much like a street drug. And as they do with street drugs, people get addicted, meaning they need more sugar for a feel-good “fix.” A study involving rats have shown that when sugar is taken away they experience the same symptoms any drug addict would once they’re cut off from their “high”. Symptoms like chattering teeth, shakes, and anxiety, are chief among them. You may be treading dangerous ground, so watch your stash.

Let’s do a little math. When you ADD sugar into your bloodstream, PLUS the proteins that are already there, you’re creating a new molecule called AGEs. This harmful new creation stands for “Advanced Glycation End Products” and they are like invaders who attack other proteins causing damage. Some of these common proteins under attack make up the collagen in your skin that is what keeps your skin firm and elastic. Go ahead and drink that super smoothie with the added sugar, it’ll just give you dry, brittle protein fibers that lead to wrinkles and saggy skin, no biggie. As if that wasn’t bad enough, AGEs promote the growth of fragile collagen and deactivate your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes. Basically, this opens the door to the sun creating even more of a skin problem.