The Immediate, Short and Long-Term Effects Of Sugar
Craving your next sugar fix? This minute-by-minute effect timeline may make you think twice!
It isn’t disputed that sugar has a negative impact on your health, leading to an array of health problems including obesity and diabetes. But do you know the immediate effect sugar is having on your body and the long-term consequences of them?
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ORGAN |
IMMEDIATE EFFECT |
SHORT-TERM EFFECT |
LONG-TERM EFFECT |
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Eyes |
Someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes may notice blurred vision immediately after consuming sugar. |
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Eating high amounts of sugar will significantly increase your risk of developing diabetes. If you have diabetes, you are also at greater risk of developing retinopathy – a condition where the blood vessels in the retina have been damaged by having high blood glucose levels, this could eventually lead to blindness. |
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Teeth |
Sugar causes an imbalanced of bacteria in the mouth, increasing your risk of gum disease, halitosis and oral thrush. | Sugar causes the enamel on your teeth to lose minerals, which will begin to cause decay.
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Sugar can completely destroy enamel, leading to painful procedures, and extensive dental work.
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Skin |
When you eat sugar, it is processed into glucose, which increases your insulin levels. These increased insulin levels are similar to a surge of inflammation throughout the body. | When sugar is consumed, enzymes are produced that breakdown collagen and elastin within the skin – leading to wrinkles and sagging.
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In the long-term, you are more at risk of developing a range of skin conditions, including acne and rosacea.
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Pancreas |
The main pancreatic hormones are glucagon (raises blood sugar) and insulin (lowers blood sugar). Sustaining an even blood sugar level is vital in the healthy functioning of the brain, liver and kidneys. | Excessive sugar consumption increases your insulin levels as your body tries to eliminate the glucose from your blood stream. Over time, your cells will become less sensitive to the excess production of insulin. | Over time, your pancreas will become less efficient and therefore age more quickly. This will leave you at a greater risk of pancreatitis, dampening your ability to regulate blood sugar levels and food digestion. |
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Liver |
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Excess glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver, which can often be low in someone with diabetes as glucose cannot get into the cells due to insulin resistance. The body therefore creates glucose from fat cells, raising blood fats (triglycerides) and bad cholesterol. But because the body is insensitive to glucose, this process becomes useless and repetitively damaging. With the body unable to store glucose effectively, this leaves you with little energy, leading to an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease and cancer. | Fat from the liver is circulated throughout the body, contributing to fatty liver disease. Over time, the liver will become resistant to insulin, leading to greater insulin levels throughout your body, raising the risk of a range of ailments including obesity and high cholesterol.
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Blood vessels |
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Increased glucose hampers the production of a form of nitric oxide (which allows the smooth muscles around the blood vessels to relax, reducing blood pressure). A lack of nitric oxide could lead to high blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels. | Regular high blood sugar levels could lead to atherosclerosis (a hardening of the arteries).
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Heart |
Sugar can be converted into glucose within minutes, this quick change can cause high blood pressure, a raised heart rate and increased mental awareness. | Once insulin has reduced the level of glucose in the blood, the body will then deal with low blood glucose due to insulin overproduction. This can lead to energy slumps, low mood and poor sleep. | Excess sugar consumption can lead to weight gain and obesity. This weight increase can have severe consequences on heart health, leaving you more at risk of developing heart disease, hypertension and an increased heart rate. |
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Kidneys & adrenals |
The kidneys begin to filter any additional glucose that cells do not use for energy. | Frequent consumption of sugar will mean that the kidneys are continually working hard to filter glucose from the body; this can cause adrenal fatigue. | If you are diabetic and your kidneys begin to decrease in efficiency over time due to high sugar consumption, you could elevate your risk of developing kidney problems, vision loss and cardiovascular disease. |
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Brain |
Your taste receptors will release feel good hormones, leading to a peak in energy, followed by a sugar crash. | You will experience cravings and an increased tolerance to sugar.
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Experiencing sugar crashes on a regular basis can leave you open to mood swings, increased fatigue and irritability. High blood sugar levels have also been linked to inflammation in the brain, increasing your risk of anxiety and depression along with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s. |
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Digestive system |
High sugar consumption can lead to increased appetite, leading to an increased risk of obesity as well as a whole range of further health concerns. Excessive sugar can also cause infection within the digestive system, for which you would commonly experience bloating and gas. | Undigested food particles can leak through the lining of the gut and into the bloodstream. This is called leaky gut, and is caused by a drop in blood sugar levels.
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If leaky gut occurs, the body is vulnerable to developing numerous autoimmune diseases as the body sees undigested food particles as foreign intruders and can begin to attack organs and systems.
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Our full range of employee nutrition services provide an end-to-end campaign aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of your employees, and therefore your business. Give us a call on 07810 716758, give us a call to find out more.
Felix
May 26, 2020 @ 9:05 am
this was a very well written article which displayed valuable and resourceful information. 🙂