10 things you might not know about sugar

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Doctors recommend to consume no more than 20 g of sugar per day for women and no more than 36 g for men. A regular can of cola contains at least 39 grams, which is the equivalent of 10 cubes. Excess sugar consumption not only causes type 2 diabetes, but also has many unwanted side effects on the human body.

Is the pleasure worth the consequences you are exposing yourself to? These 10 little-known facts will help you decide.

123RF / Olga Kriger

1. It is addictive

Sugar triggers the release of the hormone dopamine in the pleasure center of your brain, which is why many people develop a real addiction, which is one of the main causes of childhood obesity.

Researchers at the James Cook Institute have found that sweet water is even more attractive to mice than cocaine. In humans, addiction can be subtle, but it often prompts us to buy foods high in sugar or overuse desserts.

2. It is the main cause of belly fat

It is widely known that the liver converts sugar into fat when it cannot process it. But you may not have known that most of this fat is concentrated in the abdominal region rather than being distributed evenly throughout the body.

3. Sugar feeds cancer cells

Excess sugar intake causes insulin levels to rise, leading to a higher risk of cancer. Malignant cells use more sugar, but this is not the only harmful effect. Excessive sugar consumption leads to inflammation, which in turn leads to cancer.

123RF / Katarzyna Białasiewicz

4. Sugar affects the skin

Elevated blood glucose levels negatively affect the condition of the skin, reducing its elasticity and increasing the likelihood of wrinkles. The process of reaction of sugar molecules with collagen is called glycation.

5. You can consume too much sugar, even without dessert

Sugar is present in the most unexpected foods, and in fairly large quantities. Ketchup and bread contain quite a lot of sugar, as do many sauces from both traditional and international cuisine. Some popular sauces can contain up to 66 grams of sugar.

6. Added Sugar Is Worse Than Naturally Sweet Foods

Natural sugar is composed of lactose and fructose. Few people know that sugar added to food is disproportionately high in fructose.

You won't be able to overload your liver with fruit, but candy and artificially sweetened foods will cause your liver to convert excess fructose into fat.

7. Sugar is as toxic to the liver as alcohol

Most of the time, the fat made by the liver from sugar is sent back to your waist, but sometimes it stays on and causes the same damage to the liver tissue as alcohol does. The worst thing about non-alcoholic obesity liver is that not only overweight people are exposed to it. Liver damage can also occur in those who abuse sugar while remaining in a normal form.

123RF / ANTONIO BALAGUER SOLER

8. Sugar makes you overeat

Excessive consumption of fructose disrupts hormonal balance. It can cause leptin resistance by interfering with the production of the satiety hormone. When a person develops this condition, he eats more food, but at the same time does not feel satisfaction from the food.

9. Excess sugar affects the brain

Studies in rats and humans have shown that consuming too much sugar affects the brain, potentially damaging memory and causing overall brain aging.

10. Sweet tooths can be hereditary

Some people are more prone to excessive sugar consumption and addiction.

Genetic traits can affect levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for hunger attacks. This means people with natural sugar cravings should be even more careful.