In recent years, sugar has often been compared to cigarettes, likely because both target the same pleasure center in the brain, both are highly addictive, and both are highly hazardous to your health. Much like cigarettes, not much was known about the dangers of sugar until years after it had become a common occurrence and product in society, used by everyone from soldiers to housewives. But while the harmful effects of a diet high in sugar are becoming more publicly known, many are still unaware of just what it is they are putting inside their bodies every time they pick up a candy bar or soda.

Here are just a few of the ways that your sweet tooth is hurting you:

1. Sugar is bad for your teeth. You’ve likely heard it before from your dentist too, but sugar has a tendency to stick to your teeth and feed the bad bacteria that can be found there. Over time, teeth can rot and decay as a result.
2. Sugar is bad for your liver. Excess sugar consumption will have a very similar effect on the liver as if someone was an alcoholic. This is because of the high fructose content in sugar, which turns into fat, and after becoming lodged in the liver, develops into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
3. Sugar can lead to type II diabetes. Excess sugar can result in insulin resistance, which in turn can result in a highly toxic excess of glucose in the blood. This can cause a number of conditions to develop, perhaps the scariest of which is type II diabetes.
4. Sugar can give you cancer. While the link is not entirely proven, numerous studies have shown that there is a connection between sugar consumption and cancer. Once again, it’s related to insulin – sugar consumption creates elevated insulin levels, so the body can’t properly regulate the abnormal growth and multiplication of unwanted cells, thus, potentially leading to cancer.
5. Sugar is extremely addictive. Sugar attaches to the same pleasure centers in the brain that result from doing heavy drugs, and is equally addictive. It may be hard for people to practice moderation when it comes to junk food, and when trying to quit, can experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
6. Sugar can make you obese. No matter your gender or age, if you eat a lot of sugar, you are going to have a higher tendency towards being overweight. Worse still, fat gained from sugar consumption tends to attach to specific areas, such as around your gut, earning itself the nickname “sugar belly.”
7. Sugar can give you heart disease. Heart disease is the #1 killer worldwide, and recent studies show that a diet high in sugar could be a major culprit. This is because high levels of fructose can raise your blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as make you obese, in as little as two to three months.
8. Sugar can make you depressed. Sugar contributes greatly to your overall mental and cognitive health, and may offer an explanation as to why you feel so zapped shortly after eating something high in sugar. It can also explain if you experience anxiety or depression, and may even be related to memory failure later in life.

For further guidance and diet advice that you can trust, make an appointment with the onsite nutritionist available at Tampa Cardiovascular Associates by calling (813) 975-2800. Not only are our physicians dedicated to keeping your heart health at its best, but we’ll do anything we can to help you improve your everyday quality of life through important lifestyle choices.