Experts explain how excessive consumption of sweets can affect your health
Halloween is coming and, with it, the tradition and fun of receiving sweets, which grows every year in Brazil. During this time, adults and children enjoy eating candies, chocolates and lollipops, among other treats. However, it is essential to pay attention to the excessive consumption of these sugar-rich delicacies since, according to Dr. Marcella Garcez, nutritionist and director of the Brazilian Association of Nutrology, they can harm your health.
“Sugar is physically and emotionally addictive due to the numerous metabolic and biochemical mechanisms involved. Excessive consumption can lead to metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes and also worsen the risks of cardiovascular, inflammatory, degenerative and even neoplastic diseases,” explains the professional.
Below, check out 6 more problems that can be caused by excessive sugar consumption!
1. Metabolic diseases
A diet high in sugar can cause metabolic syndrome, which is a collection of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol levels. Reducing excessive sugar consumption decreases total calorie intake, helps control weight, and reduces whole-body fat and visceral fat, which sits between organs and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke,” explains Dr. Deborah Beranger , endocrinologist with specialization in Endocrinology and Metabology at the Santa Casa de Misericórdia in Rio De Janeiro (SCMRJ).
2. It can promote the onset of Cancer
According to nutritionist Marcella Garcez, “cancer cells, like all other cells in the body, need sources of energy to survive. While some cells obtain this energy from oxygen, others, such as neoplastic cells, use oxygen as energy source. sugar fermentation. In this way, sugar, more precisely glucose, can promote the development of cancer, as it nourishes tumor cells, which grow and spread throughout the body”, underlines the doctor.
3. Accelerated skin aging
Sugar is one of the main causes of premature skin aging. “Excessive consumption of sugars and carbohydrates triggers a glycation process, in which the glucose Dissolved in the blood, it binds to skin proteins forming AGEs: advanced glycation end products. These AGEs cause tissue disorders, resulting in loss of skin elasticity, wrinkle formation, reduced healing capacity and accelerated aging”, explains pharmacist Patrícia França, scientific director of Biotec Dermocosméticos.
4. Tiredness and exhaustion
According to Dr. Marcella Garcez, excess sugar in the diet causes the mitochondria, the central organelles of the cell responsible for producing energy, to lose efficiency. “Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) affects more than 400 million people worldwide. At the cellular level, too much sugar in the diet affects the integrity of the mitochondria, considered the cellular lung. As a result, events metabolic Initial symptoms such as fatigue and tiredness can be indicative of the development of diabetes”, explains the nutritionist.
5. Circulatory problems
Excess sugar can be harmful to the heart. In addition to being related to obesity and diabetes mellitus, it also contributes significantly to increased cholesterol. Sugar can promote the onset of cardiovascular problems, causing, for example, the thickening and accumulation of fatty plaques within the walls of the arteries, resulting in blockage of these vessels.
“Depending on the affected artery, this condition can also lead to the incidence of heart attackstroke and lameness problems, that is when you walk and have difficulty walking because there is no blood in your legs”, says Dr. Aline Lamaita, vascular surgeon, member of the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery.
6. Harms oral health
Sugar is one of the big bads of oral health. “One of the main problems in this regard is the formation of tooth decay, which occurs when the bacteria present in the mouth metabolise the sugar we consume, making the pH of the mouth acidic and, consequently, causing the demineralisation of the tooth enamel and the appearance of tooth decay. The worst thing is that this action begins a few hours after ingesting sugar. Furthermore, sugar also promotes the accumulation of bacterial plaque which, if not removed adequately, can also cause gingivitis and bad breath”, warns the doctor. Hugo Lewgoy, dental surgeon. Doctorate in Dentistry at USP.
Tips for consuming sugar without harming your health
The secret therefore to not harming your health is to focus on moderation, reducing sugar consumption to a maximum of one spoonful of ingredient per day. Since it is very difficult to reduce sugar intake in this way, especially since most foods contain some form of this substance in their composition, the recommendation is to take measures that can be taken to reduce the damage caused by sugar.
“For example, there are nutrients like fiber, good fats and proteins which if ingested together with refined carbohydrates, sweets and sugars, reduce the speed of digestion and absorption of sugars in the blood, reducing the glycemic index and preventing circulating levels of glucose and insulin from increasing as quickly”, says Dr. Marcella Garcia.
It’s also important to pay attention to hidden sugars that are incorporated into processed foods to make them more palatable. “Sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltodextrin, glucose or corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, oligosaccharides, glucose-fructose syrup are also simple carbohydrates to be consumed in moderation”, explains pharmacist Patrícia França.
By Paola Amoroso
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
