3 Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad For You

Have you ever been told that “sugar is bad for you?” Of course you have. Have you ever asked why that is and been given a generic answer like “it makes you fat?” Most people seem to know that sugar is bad for you, but have no idea why. To be honest, there are a ton of reasons to cut sugar from your diet, but to make this article bite sized, here are three of the lesser known reasons.

Oh, and when I say ‘sugar’ I’m talking about refined sugars; the ones that are added to processed foods like donuts, white bread, breakfast cereals, and soda. This excludes natural sugars like the ones in fruit. Eat fruit. It’s good for you.

A small amount of sugar in your diet likely won’t hurt, but too many of us aren’t just getting it in small amounts. Here are three of the issues associated with too much sugar consumption (From Prescription for Dietary Wellness):

Kidney Stones

An excess of sugar may cause painful kidney stones 

Excess sugar consumption and the resulting rise in insulin levels can induce a high amount of calcium into the urine, potentially leading to the formation of kidney stones; which can be painful.

Throwing The Body Off Balance

Consuming too much sugar can disrupt your body’s mineral balance, messing with everything

As little as two teaspoons of sugar will alter your blood chemistry, knocking your body out of homeostasis (the balanced state it need to be in for proper function). When your body digests sugar the mineral balance in your blood can also change; potentially throwing things out of balance since minerals require a balance to properly function. For instance, when the levels of minerals in the bloodstream decreases, the body might not have enough minerals to function properly with the enzymes you need to digest food. Undigested food irritates your gastrointestinal tract, causing allergic reactions, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and even mood changes like anger or depression; as well as lead to things like stiffness and arthritis in the bones/joints, acne, psoriasis, and other skin problems.

Yeast Overgrowth (Candida)

Too much sugar may lead to a not-so-fun yeast fungus overgrowth in your body… bleh

Sugar will raise your insulin levels and restrict the release of growth hormones, suppressing your immune system. Sugar also provides a welcoming environment for bacteria and plant organisms. This, combined with a lower immune function can put you at risk for Candida; an overgrowth or infection of parasitic yeast-like fungus in the intestines, mucus membranes, genital tract (yeast infection), mouth, throat, skin, or nails. Generally, you want to avoid fungal overgrowth in your body… right? Yes. The yeast fungus gets absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the rest of your body, causing symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and neurological problems. Not fun.

To Conclude

Now there are still more problems linked to too much sugar (such as anxiety, heart disease, fatigue, weight gain, and depression), but these three give you a good idea of why you might want to limit the extreme amounts of sugar that hides in your diet (seriously, check your ingredients labels).

Sources

Prescription for Dietary Wellness
Phyllis Balch – James Balch – Avery Pub. Group – 1998

Danielle Perrault. Nutritional Symptomatology.
Ontario: CSNN Publishing, 2013. Print.

Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered any type of medical advice. The information provided in this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health condition or disease, and should not be substituted for professional care. If you suspect or have a medical condition, consult an appropriate health care provider.