It is no secret that a high-sugar diet can lead to some devastating results for your teeth. Did you also know that sugar could negatively affect more than just your teeth? Here are just a few examples:
Sugar suppresses your immune system. Do you get sick often?
Sugar contributes to obesity.
Sugar contributes to diabetes. Diabetes prevalence is growing at an alarming rate.
Sugar contributes to cardiovascular disease.
Sugar has been linked to many forms of cancer.
Sugar intake can contribute to psychological disorders.
Sugar can decrease learning capacity.
Sugar disrupts normal bowel function.
Sugar has been linked to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
This is by no means a complete list. More and more studies are coming to term and revealing alarming effects of sugar. The scary thing is that we are consuming more of it than we realize. Sugar is not just in sodas, cookies, and cakes. My wife and I recently partook in a diet in which no sugar was allowed. I was shocked to learn of all the normal and even “healthy” foods that I was not able to eat because of their sugar content.
The bottom line is that most of us cannot (and don’t want to) avoid sugar all together. We can, however, take a more proactive role in our health. Examine your diet. Educate yourself about what you are eating. Most likely, you will make some “eye-opening” discoveries, just like I did. Does that list above raise any flags in your mind? Are there some easy changes you can make?
