Today, people talk and write a lot about the dangers of sugar in the diet of people, its effect is open on almost all organs and systems, metabolic processes and even emotions. So, today it is known that excess sugar intake accelerates the aging of the body, negatively affects the physiology and function of the heart, and leads to excess weight. In addition, sugar affects the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and certain vitamins. How does sugar harm the body and how to avoid it?
How does sugar lead to excess weight?
Sugar, like any other carbohydrate, when consumed in excess by people, forms reserves in the liver and partially in the muscles in the form of glycogen. If the incoming volumes of sugar exceed the possibilities of storing it in the form of glycogen, the metabolism is rearranged to activate the deposition of fat. This forms excess weight, which concentrates on the abdomen, in the thighs and buttocks, back or other problem areas. If sugar is used in conjunction with an excess of fatty foods, excess weight is formed twice as fast due to the activation of the absorption of fat molecules and their storage in the subcutaneous tissue. Sugar, having a high calorie content, does not contain any useful components – vitamins or minerals, it does not have fiber, which means that there is very little potential benefit from it.
Sugar also creates a feeling of false hunger, which is why frequent consumption of large amounts of sweet food contributes to overeating. In the human brain there is a group of cells that control appetite, an excess of sweets due to the formation of intermediate metabolic products, irritatingly affects this zone. This creates excess weight due to the fact that a person eats more food than he needs to cover all needs. The sharp fluctuation of glucose in the plasma, which occurs when loaded with sugar, after which there is a sharp jump, and then the same pronounced drop in glucose level, also affects the formation of excess weight. This stimulates the formation of excess insulin and hunger. A person eats to increase glucose again.
Excess sugar leads to accelerated aging
According to scientists, high sugar consumption leads to accelerated aging. This is due to a change in the structure of collagen due to an excess of carbohydrates, which reduces the elasticity of the skin and forms wrinkles. In addition, in people who are overweight due to the large amount of sugar in their diet, aging is also faster. This is due to the appearance (extra pounds almost always “add years”), and with metabolic processes. Fluctuations in plasma glucose, changes in fat metabolism and vitamin deficiency, mineral metabolism problems that invariably occur under such conditions provoke earlier aging due to the formation of free radicals that damage tissues. No less negatively on the processes of aging and wear of the body are affected by intermediate, often toxic metabolic products. With age, they neutralize more slowly and more difficultly, which gradually forms irreversible age-related changes. Therefore, in order to slow down the aging of the face and body, it is worthwhile to reduce the consumption of sugar in daily nutrition.
The effect of sugar on the heart
Although glucose is vital for the heart muscle for its full reduction and active work, an excess of sugar in the diet negatively affects its anatomy and functioning. Crystalline sugar, consumed in an excessive volume, negatively affects the heart due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), which threatens dystrophic phenomena in the myocardium. In addition, excess weight, provoked by the consumption of sweets, leads to the suffering of arteries from atherosclerosis and increased pressure, which increases the load on the heart in conditions of the formation of myocardial ischemia. This threatens the development of angina pectoris and heart attack – conditions that are life-threatening. No less serious can be edema associated with extravascular fluid accumulation , loss of calcium and potassium, necessary for contractile myocardial activity – all this threatens heart failure under conditions of increased stress.
Conflict of sugar with calcium, phosphorus
Sugar, supplied with food in excess, leads to a violation of the ratio of calcium, phosphorus in the plasma, which threatens the loss of minerals and osteoporosis. In the normal state, the calcium-phosphorus ratio has strictly defined oscillation boundaries, and with excess sugar intake this ratio changes dramatically, which leads to disruption of the bone remineralization process. So, calcium rises sharply in plasma, while phosphorus decreases. And this imbalance of minerals after an excessive load of sweets can last up to two days. As a result of an incorrect ratio of minerals in plasma, calcium from food by sugar lovers is absorbed worse, part of it is excreted in the urine without entering the bone tissue.
In order for sugar to be fully assimilated, the presence of calcium is also necessary, and if the mineral does not receive enough food, it begins to be borrowed from the bones, which threatens the formation of osteoporosis.
The effect of sugar on emotions
Fans of sweets can notice a certain psychological dependence on sugar, since it belongs to the active stimulants of the nervous system and affects emotions. When consuming sweets, when there is an increase in blood glucose, there is activity and a surge of strength, a state of nervous system agitation, and mood improves. If, due to physical activity, the excess energy supplied with food is not consumed, a feeling of tension arises. A sharp deficiency of blood glucose, which occurs after an overload of sweets, can lead to negative emotions, aggression. Many people notice that when they are hungry, they are very angry and irritated. If sweet food is taken, the condition normalizes, emotions come back to normal. For many, this phenomenon leads to the bad habit of “seizing stress” with sweet foods.
By the way, sugar can also cause dependence, which was found in animal experiments. But similar phenomena have been revealed for humans, and the use of this product beyond measure, uncontrollably, leads to dependence, both in terms of emotions and physical condition.