Everyone has a weakness for sweet and sugary foods. Although we have always been told that it may cause us some illnesses, do we really know how grave they are? Let's start with the basics.
Sugar is composed mainly of sucrose, lactose and fructose and our taste buds distinguish its taste as sweet. It is also defined as a basic food carbohydrates found in fruits, honey, sugar cane and sugar maple. We usually include this in dishes, most especially beverages to alter its flavor and texture.
Health-related agencies have stated that sugar should not compose more than 10% of our diet but there are also some organizations that insist how safe sugar can be even if it comprises more than 25% of our food and drink intakes. The debate on how much percentage of sugar is actually safe is still on-going both for how much should be added on foods and those that are already naturally present.
Aside from the fact that excessive sugar intake may induce health risking consequences there is a much longer list for this topic. First, sugar can decrease the efficiency of one's immune system which would make one vulnerable to infectious diseases. It is also possible that one can suffer from nutrition deficiency as sugar can upset the mineral relationship in the body. The absence of chromium and copper can relatively affect the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
The most basic adverse effects most of us know is that sugar can cause the saliva to be acidic which can result in tooth decay and other periodontal diseases.
Some people who need to have an urgent source of energy eat sugar-based food that causes them to have rapid rise of adrenalin. This is not a good practice. It may result in hyperactivity, anxiety and even crankiness among the younger ones. After the sugar has been burned off an individual may feel weaker than their initial state.
Sugar also causes a significant increase in the amount of cholesterol in the body. When this happens the body is unable to maintain a balance between the number of good and bad cholesterol. There have been researches that have connected sugar with the development of cancer cells. Studies show that sugar feeds the cancer cells resulting in some cancers including those of the breasts, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, gallbladder and the stomach.
It may also cause some gastrointestinal tract problems including an acidic digestive tract, indigestion and an increased possibility for an individual to acquire Crohn's disease or a lifelong inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The most common of all adverse effects of sugar which that many people are already familiar about is its trigger for obesity. This is defined as an excessive weight wherein an individual has already exceeded their body mass index (BMI) to thirty. This condition can induce additional negative effects for one's health.
And as mentioned the list goes on and on. We do not need to experience all these adverse effects in general but we also do not need to avoid the delightful taste of sugar on our meals and beverages. Remain those sugar consumption to a low so you may have a taste of both world, health and sweetness.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 