We all know by now that excess sugar is not exactly healthy for us. However, it can be really hard to slow down on the sweet stuff. It might help to know exactly what is going on in our bodies when we consume sugar.
There are different ways that sugar affects your body after you eat that cookie or another food item with sugar in it. Find out how sugar affects your body and your brain and learn why you might want to cut back on items with excess sugar in them.
What it does to your brain
When you eat something with sugar, it lights up your brain’s reward center. This explains the happy feeling you get when you consume sugary items or the “sugar high”. However, if you keep eating lots of sugar over time, it can affect your brain. It can cause focus issues, memory problems and even make it harder to learn new things.
You crave more and more
Think about it. How difficult is it to eat just one little cookie? We learned that sugar lights up your brain’s reward center. This also means that it makes it hard to stop at just one treat. It also messes with your brain’s ability to tell you that you are full so you keep eating.
It will make you look old
Too much sugar affects your body’s ability to repair and make collagen in your body. Collagen helps keep you looking younger. Sugar can actually cause premature wrinkles.
It is also a leading cause of obesity
Your liver can metabolize sugar and turn it into energy, but only so much. Excess sugar is converted into fat. This can cause weight gain which can also lead to diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can also lead to a risk of other health conditions like liver disease and kidney failure.
Sugar is very addicting
Some research shows that sugar can be even more addictive than cocaine. Scary thought, right? Eating sugar releases dopamine, which makes you feel happy and gets you addicted. It can also lead you to consume more sugar over time.
It can cause stress and energy crashes
You’ve probably heard of the phrase “sugar crash”. It is very true. When you eat something with lots of sugar, you may feel a quick boost of energy. However, soon after you might feel a crash in energy or feel sluggish. It could also make you feel stressed out and want another sugar fix.
Do you think you are addicted to sugar? Did you know that sugar causes all these issues in the body and mind? If you found this article informative, please SHARE with your friends and family who love sugary treats!