7 Reasons To Monitor Your Sugar Intake Even If You Don't Have Diabetes

Written By Paisley Hansen / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Unlike fresh fruits that contain antioxidants and fiber along with their natural sugar, added sugars do not have these beneficial partners. In fact, they don't offer any real benefits and are often associated with negative consequences.

Yet, many people continue to eat foods packed with added sugars every day. Before you reach for those cookies, consider these seven reasons you should monitor your added sugar intake even if you don't have diabetes. 

1. Sugar Impacts Gut Health

Your gut germs are responsible for a host of functions within the body. A healthy microbiome helps keep inflammation and pain at bay; it also supports a stronger immune response.

However, many beneficial gut germs do not like high-sugar environments. That means that, while you may enjoy that sweet tea with lunch, it could lead to higher incidences of pain, inflammation and routine illnesses. 

2. High-Sugar Diets Are Associated With Several Chronic Health Conditions

While a causal relationship has not been established in all situations, there is a lot of research into the link between high-sugar diets and several potentially serious health conditions. Many experts believe this is due, at least partially, to sugar's contribution to obesity.

However, even individuals considered thin should limit sugar intake since it has been directly associated with higher rates of conditions including:

• High blood pressure
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Atherosclerosis
• Cancer (especially types affecting the digestive system)

3. You May Be At Risk of Developing Diabetes in the Future

Just because you don't have diabetes now does not mean you won't develop it down the road. Consuming lots of sugar can contribute to insulin resistance. Unfortunately, many people fail to see this connection.

Knowing how food affects your body can help you make educated decisions about what foods you should limit. Using a continuous glucose monitor is one way to see how the foods you eat impact your blood sugar levels. 

4. Sugar May Negatively Affect Your Mood

It is commonly accepted that a healthy diet can help improve your mood, but few people realize that a poor diet can have the opposite effect. In fact, several studies showed that diets high in sugar are directly associated with an increased risk of depression.

This may be due to chronic inflammation and how the addictive qualities of sugar affect dopamine receptors in the brain. 

5. Many High-Sugar Foods Are Also Highly Processed

In order to make highly processed foods more palatable, manufacturers often increase the amounts of sugar in them. In addition to tasting better, they also become addictive. Since it is still lacking in nutrients even though you ate, your body will crave more food (and sugar). This leads to a terrible cycle of overeating and can impact your relationship with food. 

There are also other consequences. The American Heart Association has acknowledged the dangers of highly processed foods and added sugars in their recently released healthy eating guidelines. This underscores how potentially harmful these commonly consumed foods can be. 

6. Too Much Sugar Is Linked to Early Signs of Aging

If taking better care of your physical health isn't a motivating factor for you, maybe preserving a youthful appearance will encourage you to skip that next sugary treat. That's right, excess sugar consumption can lead to premature skin aging.

This is because a diet high in sugars and refined carbohydrates leads to the production of advanced glycation end products which can damage collagen and elastin in the skin.

7. It Contributes to Poor Dental Health

You probably remember this warning from childhood, and there are good reasons you heard it over and over again. When you eat foods that are high in sugar, it affects dental health. More specifically, it feeds germs in the mouth, creating an acidic environment that reduces tooth mineralization and results in more cavities. Yikes!

A diet high in added sugar is associated with increased rates of chronic disease, depression, cavities and wrinkles. It may also make you more likely to develop diabetes in the future. So, there are plenty of reasons to monitor your sugar intake, even if you aren't diabetic. 

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Written By:

Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Dmitriy Be on Unsplash