Contents:
- Medical Video: 9 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar
- What are the bad effects on health if you eat lots of sweet foods?
- Can't stop eating
- Increases the risk of diabetes and obesity
- Damage the heart
- Increases the risk of cancer
- Then, how to reduce sweet foods so as not to overdo it?
- Read the label of the food or drink you buy
- Pay attention to your combination of foods
Medical Video: 9 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar
Who, who doesn't like sweet foods? Whether ice sweet tea, cotton candy, candy, ice cream, or even chocolate is always a favorite food. Sweet foods are often the target when you feel bad mood or need snacks to accompany your daily activities. There's nothing wrong with eating sweet foods, it's just that, even though sugar isn't as bad as saturated fat, salt, or calories, you still need to limit the consumption of these sweet foods. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides recommendations for daily sugar intake, which is 5 percent of one's daily total calories.
In fact, behind the sweet taste of sugar, there are dangers that you should not consider trivial.
What are the bad effects on health if you eat lots of sweet foods?
Here are some health problems that can arise if you consume too much sweet food.
Can't stop eating
Leptin is a protein made in fat cells, circulates in the bloodstream, and is circulated to the brain. Leptin is a hormone marker that you are hungry or full of. A study found that excessive sugar levels in your body will increase the risk of leptin resistance. As a result, you will not stop to eat because your brain will not feel full even though you have eaten a lot. Leptin resistance is what will keep you eating, which can result in an increased risk of obesity.
Increases the risk of diabetes and obesity
Robert Lustig, a pediatric neuroendocrinologist, states that consuming too much sweet food will accumulate dangerous belly fat and make your brain always think that you are hungry. As a result, fat deposits in the abdomen can be a sign of poor health, such as problems with inflammation and high blood pressure. In addition, a study conducted by John L. Sievenpiper et al stated that calories in sugar are far more dangerous. Adding sugar to food and drinks will have a more harmful effect. Fructose is associated with deteriorating insulin levels in the body and causes glucose tolerance, which is a determinant of the condition of prediabetes or obesity.
Damage the heart
Not only can you increase your risk of increasing weight, too many sweets can also develop coronary heart disease. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (2013) found that molecules in sugar, glucose 6-phosphate, can cause changes in heart muscle which can lead to heart failure. In addition, the study published in JAMA: Internal Medicine also found that people who consumed sugar from 17-21% of total calories would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people who consumed 8% of sugar from total calories.
Increases the risk of cancer
Every cell in your body needs sugar (glucose) to be used as energy. Glucose will then be channeled to every cell in your body to improve brain function. In fact, without carbohydrates, your body will still make sugar from other sources, including protein and fat. So if you eat too much sweet food, you will experience an increase in body weight. Being overweight can cause changes in levels of sex hormones or insulin which can increase the risk of developing breast, colon or uterine cancer. In addition, a study also found that too much sugar intake can increase the risk of certain cancers, such as esophageal cancer.
Then, how to reduce sweet foods so as not to overdo it?
Read the label of the food or drink you buy
Usually, sugar is often hidden by other names such as invert sugar, molasses, sucrose (or any word ending in "-ose"), red rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup. If there are too many types of sugar contained in these foods, you need to think again to buy them. Or, you need to switch to buying foods and drinks that are low in sugar.
Pay attention to your combination of foods
To minimize the rise and fall of rapid blood sugar, combine protein, healthy fat and fiber in your food. This combination can slow the release of blood sugar in your body and make you full longer.
Although initially reducing eating sugar is difficult. However, you still have to start from now. Take care of your health by paying attention to what you consume every day.
