Aside from the more obvious reasons to quit sugar such as diabetes and weight gain, there are several other ways in which sugar can affect your body. Excessive sugar can have negative effects on your cholesterol levels and affect your brain to alter the chemistry of your brain to a significant level.
With these 5 reasons below, you’ll see why it’s worth it to tame your sweet tooth.
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It will help increase your brainpower
Another profound reason to be cut down on sugar is that it affects mental capacities to a significant level. Foods that have a high sugar content increase brain activity. As a result, they slow down the brain, hindering learning and memory.
It will reduce your bad cholesterol
When you consume high amounts of sugar, your LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood fat increase. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in your HDL (good) cholesterol. A combination of LDL and HDL can lead to clogged blood vessels and severe heart conditions. Reducing your sugar intake will increase your HDL cholesterol levels and help to protect your blood vessels.
It will help you overcome a serious addiction
Sugar is one of the most addictive substances anyone can eat due to the amount of dopamine (feel-good hormones) it releases in the brain. In fact, a study showed that rats would opt for sugar even when they are addicted to cocaine. Eating too much sugar results in an excessive release of dopamine and a continuous cycle of addictive behaviour. If you need to be convinced about the negative effects of sugar, then this should get you started.
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It will cut down your risk for dementia
The brain contains a chemical known as Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor. This chemical is responsible for helping the brain form connections and makes new memories. However, it reduces significantly in amount when there are high amounts of sugar in the body. This can increase the risk of brain-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
You’ll sleep better
Your energy levels are tied to the amount of sugar you take. At first, you may feel sleepy and sluggish when you give up sugar. But your body will eventually adapt to it and you will only fall asleep when the time is right. This will enable you to have energy throughout the day and sleep well at night.
Source:
Greatist
NCBI
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