The most common adverse health effect of this overindulgence is the increased risk of becoming overweight or obese, which increases the risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
Other negative health consequences include:
- Death from heart disease – a recent study found that those who consume 25% or more of their daily calories from sugars are twice as likely to die from heart disease as those for whom sugars represent only 10% of calories. This was the case even for those who were not overweight or obese.
- Compromised cholesterol – researchers have noted a relationship between high levels of dietary sugars and higher triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol (the “good cholesterol). This increases the risk of heart disease.
- Being primed for diabetes – while sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, it does contribute significantly to weight gain, which increases the chance of developing diabetes over time.
Read more about Curbing a Sugar Addiction here.
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