Eating too much sugar can lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol. A recent study found that participants received an average of 16% of their daily calories from sugar, with those consuming at least 25% at twice the risk of low HDL levels and elevated risks for triglyceride levels.
Eating too much sugar can lead to numerous health conditions, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol. It can also cause people to miss out on the vitamins and nutrients in other healthy foods. Some sugars found in fruits are less harmful, but a large amount of refined sugar and table sugar, often found in processed foods, can ultimately lead to illness.
One of the main effects of eating too much sugar is diabetes. People who raise their blood sugar through excessive sugar consumption are at higher risk of developing type II diabetes and insulin resistance. High blood sugar levels make it difficult for the pancreas to make enough insulin to keep levels within a normal, healthy range. As the pancreas pumps out more and more insulin, the insulin receptor cells become resistant to it, requiring even more insulin. At a certain point, the body cannot produce the insulin needed to control blood glucose levels, leading to diabetes.
Too much sugar can also negatively influence metabolism, leading to obesity and weight gain. People who eat too much sugar cause huge disturbances in blood glucose levels and experience sugar rushes and subsequent crashes. Since sugar levels rise and dissipate quickly, people who eat large amounts of sugar will not stay full for as long, leading them to consume more calories in less time.
A recent study conducted a survey that spanned from 1994 to 2006 and interviewed more than 6,000 participants about their sugar habits. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that less than 10% of calories come from sucrose or table sugar, the study found that participants received an average of 16% of their daily calories from sugar. The participants also consumed an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar each day, although the recommended amount is no more than six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men.
Within the demographic group that got at least 25% of their daily calories from sugar, 43% experienced low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. This puts them at twice the risk of low HDL levels than the group that only received 5% of their calories from sugar. The high-sugar group also experienced elevated risks for triglyceride levels, which increases the risks of stroke and heart disease. High triglyceride levels also increase the risks of developing high blood pressure, unhealthy fat stores, and diabetes, which is further exacerbated by eating too much sugar.
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