6. Foggy Brain
A study published in the journal Neuroscience found that mice fed a diet “similar in composition to the typical diet of most industrialized western societies rich in saturated fat and refined sugar” experienced a reduced brain function in only 2 months.
That’s because high amounts of sugar affect proteins and neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for learning and memory. (10) In short: sugar makes you more stupid.
7. Skin Problems
Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body and is responsible for skin elasticity. By nature, sugar molecules bind to collagen and help collagen cells move around.
Too much sugar in the body makes collagen cells less mobile and thus causes stiffness of tissues, including skin. (11) Loss of elasticity in the skin becomes apparent with the advent of wrinkles, among other things.
In addition, sugar causes cellular inflammation. As you probably know, any time there’s chronic inflammation, you know you’re gonna have some problems.
Plus, increased levels of sugar cause acne and dermatitis. Carbohydrates like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta cause an increase in insulin and androgen (a male sex hormone) production. Androgens cause the glands in the skin to produce extra oil, clogging pores and resulting in pimples. (12)
Also, candida is a yeast that lives in the digestive tract and on the skin. As a yeast, it thrives on sugar. Eating excess sugar makes yeast proliferate, resulting in nail infections, vaginal infections, athlete’s foot, and oral thrush. (13)
What’s more, high blood sugar can also lead to diabetic neuropathy, causing tinggling and pain in the feet.
8. Cancer
Over time, internal inflammation and increased insulin production can cause cells to abnormally and rapidly reproduce. Cancer cells live on sugar, so that’s one more reason to ditch the sugar habit.
What Too Much Sugar Does to Your Body
Cancer has been deemed a global epidemic. In a Swiss study on the incidence of cancer around the world, the over-consumption of sugar in industrialized countries was found to be 1 of the primary culprits. In the United States alone, it’s estimated that 30-40% of healthcare expenditures go toward treating sugar-related illness and disease.
A 2014 study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation was the first to look into how malignant and benign cancer cells respond to increased glucose.
All cells consume glucose for fuel. What researchers found is that not only do cancerous cells (both malignant and benign) consume sugar but excess sugar disrupts normal cell expression and causes “upregulated canonical oncogenic signaling” (development of tumors). (14) This is caused by complex metabolic reactions of cells to sugar.
Interestingly and encouragingly, when sugar intake is reduced, cells go back to normal function over time.