Signs You Are Consuming Too Much Sugar
1. Sugar Addiction
Sugar is addictive, much like cocaine, and its effects are similar. It stimulates the production of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. Often, without even thinking about it, we can be tempted by sweets and simple carbohydrates to get our “fix.” As with other addictions, our body develops a tolerance to sugar, meaning the more we consume, the more we crave it, even when we aren’t hungry.
2. Lack of Energy and Fatigue
Orexins, a type of neuropeptide, play a role in the sleep-wake cycle. Sensitive to sugars, they react to glucose levels in the body. A slight increase in blood sugar can inhibit the transmission of neural signals by orexins, leading to a state of drowsiness. Thus, after the fleeting energy provided by sugar, a state of fatigue quickly follows due to the inhibition of these neurotransmitters.
3. Weight Gain
Excessive sugar consumption makes you gain weight. Of course, other factors like activity level and metabolic rate play a role, but the body burns sugar for energy first. What it cannot use immediately, it stores as fat.
