The Effects of Sugar on the Body

Sugar can have several negative effects on the way we function each day and it interferes with reaching our potential in living our healthiest lives, especially when too much is consumed. Sugar triggers the release of chemicals that set off the brain’s “feel good” sensors and over time a tolerance is built up. To get the same satisfaction each time, we tend to overdo it without realizing it! When we overdue it, that’s when it becomes an issue.

Sugar makes us sleepy. After the initial jolt of energy, we crash. When consumed, sugar creates a rush in insulin which is released to stabilize these levels and initiates a rapid glucose uptick by our body’s tissues to store it. This consequently causes blood sugar to drastically drop.

Eating too much sugar scrambles our body’s ability to tell our brain we are full and leaves us feeling hungry, so we eat more! Too much sugar can also cause metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome can be a host of things such as weight gain, type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity, decreased HDL cholesterol and has a significant link with the development of severe Covid-19 symptoms. For some people, too much sugar and fructose can even overload and damage someone’s’ liver!

Like most things that can be addictive, limiting sugar from one’s diet can be tough for many people. However, The more we know about how sugar effects our health and daily livelihood, the better aware we are before we delve into a second sleeve of our favorite cookies to get us through a rough workday; or stop ourselves before we get through a pint of ice cream; or crack open another soda for the day.

If you not only want to keep up with Sugar Free September during this last stretch of the month and want to get your weight under control and begin the road to a healthier lifestyle, reach out to our Community Wellness Center and ask about the obesity classes available this fall! Contact the Community Wellness Center to find out how to sign up for a class on Obesity or Diabetes 559-791-3847. #sugarfreeseptember