These days, sugar is everywhere. In cakes, candy, and fruit juices, yes, but also in many processed foods you didn’t even know you were eating. So you could be consuming way too much sugar without even knowing it. Below are eight signs that this is probably the case.
1/ You are gaining weight and constantly want to eat
Sugar makes you fat, everyone knows that. But what most people don’t know, however, is that sugar also makes you gain weight quickly because it makes you hungry. Constantly. “That’s because sugar does raise blood glucose levels in the short term, but it’s not filling because of the lack of fiber. If you’re always hungry, you end up eating more than you need, which ultimately leads to weight gain,” explains Dr. Lela Ahlemann, specialist in dermatology, phlebology, proctology and nutritional medicine, Vogue US.
“When you eat a diet high in processed foods and sugar, your microbiome shifts to favor sugar-loving bacteria. These bacteria release chemicals that signal your brain to want more sugar,” Dr. Kenneth Brown, a certified gastroenterologist, told the site Well and Good in an article on intestinal pain, published this summer.
2/ You regularly have mood swings
“When we eat sugar, the glucose level rises rapidly, which leads to a release of insulin. However, this increase is often so strong that the blood sugar level does not return to normal, but drops below the baseline value. This is called hypoglycemia, which then leads to cravings for snacks. In some people, this also leads to mood swings and irritability,” explains Dr. Ahlemann.
It is not for nothing that the intestine is nicknamed the “second brain”. “Various studies have in fact proven that people suffering from depression have anomalies in the composition of their intestinal microbiota, that is to say imbalances between the bacterial populations that naturally colonize their digestive system. Some are deficient and others on the contrary are in excess. In addition, transferring the truncated flora of an individual suffering from depression to another healthy person is enough to trigger depression in the latter, confirming a causal link”, writes Inserm on his site.
3/ You alternate between energy peaks and energy slumps
Have you ever noticed that after consuming a large amount of sugar, you feel great and then suddenly feel completely drained? This roller coaster phenomenon is caused by rapid changes in blood sugar levels. This causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, then a sudden drop, often synonymous with a crash.
4/You have trouble sleeping
Excess sugar, especially if it occurs before bedtime, can disrupt the quality of sleep. In fact, sugar can cause insomnia or make sleep less restorative with less qualitative cycles.
Overall, when you suffer from sleep disorders, an imbalanced microbiome is often at play. “Serotonin is the building block of melatonin, which is associated with maintaining our proper sleep cycles. Research shows that our gut is a major source of melatonin production.”explains Dr. Kenneth Brown.
5/ Your intestine is inflamed and your immune system weakened
“Normally, sugar is absorbed into the body through the small intestine. But if the amount of simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose, that we consume exceeds the capacity of our small intestine, it ends up in the large intestine,” explains Dr. Ahlemann. It then becomes food for the bacteria that live there: “Selective feeding leads to an overgrowth of these bacteria. The problem is that, unfortunately, they carry endotoxins on their bacterial surface, which can then leave the gut and enter the bloodstream, causing silent inflammation, which accelerates aging and weakens the immune system.”
Because when your gut microbiota is inflamed, the inflammation often spreads to other parts of the body, including the joints. An unhappy gut can lead to arthritis. Similarly, if your gut is suffering, you may be more likely to develop frequent infections, increased allergies, or autoimmune diseases.
6/ You are aging at high speed
Which brings us to accelerated aging. “It is scientifically proven that high sugar consumption leads to the formation of so-called AGEs, or advanced glycation end products,” explains Dr. Ahlemann. However, these AGEs melt our collagen fibers. “When there are too many AGEs, our collagen fibers become stiff, brittle, and degenerate. The body is also less able to repair itself, leading to further degradation of the quality of our collagen.”
7/ But you have acne
“When we eat sugar, not only do our insulin levels rise, but so do a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1 for short,” says Dr. Ahlemann. “Together with insulin, IGF-1 stimulates the sebaceous glands and excessive keratinization of the sebaceous gland area, causing them to become clogged, leading to acne and inflammation.”
Generally speaking, unexplained acne breakouts (outside of your period and on your neck, for example), eczema or abnormally dry skin can also be signs that your gut is unhealthy. “The gut microbiome modulates the immune system’s response to inflammation, thereby influencing the development and progression of skin conditions,” explains Dr. Kenneth Brown.
8/ You regularly suffer from dental cavities
This point probably won’t surprise you: consuming too much sugar increases the risk of cavities. Why? Bacteria in the mouth feed on sugar and produce acids that damage tooth enamel.
Source: www.topsante.com
