Featured Image Credit: The Infographics Show / YouTube
Some of you can't get enough of the sweet stuff, and while many'd rather have a starter instead of a dessert, there are just as many who skip straight to the end of the menu to see what they'll have for afters.
While the body needs glucose to keep our energy levels up, we actually don't need added sugar.
We've already covered how chugging soda can take an alarming amount of time off your life, while cutting sugar out of your life for just two weeks can have an amazingly positive effect on the body.
But what exactly happens to your body when you shove your hand into a bag of Haribo Tangfastic and munch your way through a movie?
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As shared by The Infographics Show, it follows a day in the life of Chris, a self-confessed sugarholic who is putting away a lot of sweet treats.
Starting his day with a sugary coffee and pastry, he immediately gets off to a rocky start as his blood sugar levels are sent on a rollercoaster due to a 'sugar rush'.
The problem with this is that what goes up must come down, with a sugar rush quickly followed by a crash.
Sugar crashes can leave you tired, sluggish, and potentially even hungrier than before.
The video notes how studies have revealed that high-sugar foods lead to rapid spikes in blood glucose levels. A single 12-ounce can of soda contains about 39 grams of sugar will lead to a massive rise in blood sugar levels in just 30 minutes, only to be quickly followed by a sugar crash.
These sharp spikes in blood glucose levels will trigger the pancreas to release insulin, but when the levels of sugar come in too high and too quickly, your body can overproduce insulin.
The Infographics Show adds: "This cycle of spiking and crashing is particularly concerning because it can strain the body's ability to regulate blood sugar effectively over time, which is essential for overall health."
More importantly, this up and down may lead to insulin resistance, which is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. There are further problems with your body craving sugar, as it becomes a hard cycle to break. Your brain is hit with a release of dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward, making sugar as addictive as some drugs.
Your body will also struggle to differentiate between genuine hunger and sugar cravings, while taste receptors can also be affected, you can gain weight over time because high-sugar foods tend to be rich in calories but poor in nutritional value.
Those who are dealing with a high-sugar diet also tend to face more dental issues, with the World Health Organization suggesting we reduce sugar intake to less than 10% of our total energy intake per day.
If that wasn't enough to deal with, the “World Journal of Gastroenterology” suggests a correlation between Western diets that are high in sugar and a rise in gut-related diseases.
The most sobering reveal comes as the video adds: "Studies have repeatedly shown that excessive sugar consumption is a key factor in the development of several chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer."
High-sugar diets are said to contribute to heart disease, and rounding off the pack, mood swings and anxiety are also common. Basically, if you want to make your lives healthier, you should kick the candy before you get addicted.
