From peanut butter to marinara sauce and sweetened dairy added sugar is found in even the most unexpected consumer products today. Many Americans rely on quick, processed foods for snacks and meals.
And since many of these products contain added sugar, they end up making up a large percentage of their daily calorie intake. In fact, the situation has become so bad that the average adult is estimated to consume up to 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
Health experts believe that excessive sugar consumption is a leading cause of several chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes. It can also cause obesity, which is why dietary guidelines suggest reducing your calorie intake from added sugars to at least 10% daily.
The Role of Glucose
Glucose is the leading source of energy for body cells. You typically get it from the carbohydrates in your diet, e.g., grains. Once in the body, it gets carried through to the blood cells, which then use it for fuel.
Its role in the body can be categorized into two:
1. Energy Production: Glucose represents a simple sugar or a monosaccharide. In the human body, it serves as the primary source of energy for your brain and is utilized as the primary substrate for energy production, which occurs via cellular respiration. Its role in cellular respiration is crucial as it supplies the building blocks needed for creating ATP – the energy currency that all living organisms use to function.
2. Metabolism: Glucose is key to energy consumption. Proteins and carbohydrates ultimately break down into glucose, which then becomes the leading metabolic fuel for your body. As the glucose begins to build up around your cells, your pancreas receives a signal to begin producing insulin.
Excessive Glucose Intake
Eating too much sugar can contribute to long-term health problems, including the following:
1. Weight Gain: Excessive sugar intake can affect the hormones in your body that are tasked with controlling your body weight. Leptin is a hormone that sends a signal to your brain telling it that you’re full and should stop eating. However, a 2018 animal study established that a diet filled with sugary foods can lead to leptin resistance. Its implication is that with time, a sugar-rich diet will make it hard for the brain to know when to stop eating. Additionally, high glucose levels can inhibit the secretion of HGH. HGH promotes the breakdown of fats for energy, aiding in weight management. HGH deficiency can lead to obesity, fatigue, and muscle mass loss. Find out what are genotropin before and after the results are.
2. Insulin Resistance: Impaired insulin sensitivity occurs when the cells in your fat, muscles, and liver are no longer capable of responding normally to insulin. Depending on its severity, insulin sensitivity can be temporary or chronic. The inability to respond appropriately to this hormone means the fat, muscle, and liver cells can’t absorb glucose from the bloodstream or even store it for future use. When the cells become resistant to this hormone, you’re likely to develop elevated blood glucose levels, which can, over time, lead to type 2 diabetes. Other conditions associated with insulin resistance include metabolic syndrome and obesity.
3. Heart Disease: Doctors have linked high-sugar diets with an increased risk of chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease. Studies suggest that these diets can lead to inflammation, obesity, and high blood pressure and sugar levels. Moreover, consuming too much sugar has been linked to a condition called atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the development of fatty, artery-clogging deposits. Apart from increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, too much sugar intake can also increase your risk of getting a stroke.
4. Hormonal Imbalance: Glucose not only provides significant highs and lows in energy and mood levels, but it can also impact insulin production. What you may not realize is that insulin is closely linked to other crucial hormones in your body, such as estrogen and testosterone. The presence of too much sugar in your diet can, thus, lead to hormonal imbalances. For women who experience painful PMS, excessive sugar intake can lead to irritability, mood swings, worse cramps, and even depression. As such, be advised that overconsumption of sugar hurts your health both in the short term and in the long term.
Tips for Balancing Glucose Intake
Making some lifestyle adjustments, such as eating more foods rich in probiotics, managing stress, and exercising regularly, can assist in balancing your blood sugar levels. The following are tips to help balance your glucose intake.
1. Limit Sugar Intake: Dietary sugar increases blood sugar levels, causing you to experience a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Reducing your daily intake of candy, cakes, and sugary beverages can help prevent this from happening. Make it a point to check all food labels since sugar can appear in all kinds of places, including salad dressings and pasta sauce.
2. Balanced Diet: A balanced diet enables you to manage your carb intake.
Remember, the amount of carbs you consume in a day will influence your blood sugar levels. Try to count the amount of carbs you consume and the amount you need to go about your daily duties.
3. Regular Exercise: Exercising regularly can assist in improving insulin sensitivity, which allows the cells to make good use of the sugar circulating in your bloodstream. Recommended forms of exercise include walking, swimming, weightlifting, dancing, running, and cycling.
4. Adequate Sleep: Poor sleeping habits can promote weight gain and increase your appetite levels, substantially affecting blood sugar levels. Insufficient sleep increases cortisol levels, a hormone needed to manage blood sugar.
Conclusion
Excessive glucose intake can contribute to unwanted weight gain, insulin resistance, heart disease, and hormonal imbalances. While research on the impacts of added sugars on human health is ongoing, knowing how to balance sugar intake can help keep chronic diseases at bay.
The above tips can help you avoid the effects that come with taking too much sugar!
