Everyone loves sweet things and we find those yucky tasting vegetables quite repugnant. I bet if i asked you to choose between a bittercola, bitterleaf, kola, cuccumber with no other thing in the mix for a whole day, you probably would see me as the most diabolic person you'd ever known, however, these things are quite advantageous substances your body will forever be grateful you took.
so if i give you that bitterleaf drink, in spite of the health benefits, i'll expect you to make a face similar to this
But sugar is deadly and more dangerous than as it is sweet!
SO HOW DANGEROUS IS SUGAR?
I'm not saying consumption of sugar is bad but if you will/may take excess sugar i'll ask this?
Which of the following would you like to have?
diabetes
Obesity
Kidney Stones
Osteoporosis
Depressed Immune System
Alzheimer's
Cancer
Inflammation
Mood Swings
Increased Risk of a Heart Attack
Originally sugar gives energy to the body,your body needs sugar for metabolism...e.t.c
but these could be got from naturally occurring sugar found in fruits and some vegetables like carrots...e.t.c
WHAT EXCESS SUGAR DOES IN THE BODY
so let's start this way in a more vivid description...
Lets create a case study with the name Juliet. Juliet started taking chocolate from a tender age of 3, so she must have needed enormous energy to suffice for the overwhelming energy that comes with that age. However, she grows into teenager and it grows worse...
here's what would have happened over the years
Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine, which explains why you’re more likely to crave a candy bar at 3 p.m. than an apple or a carrot.
source
so over the years juliet must have accumulated enough dopamine to create an almost insatiable crave for sugar and a huge amount of dopamine to go with. but while Juliet was younger she could convert a considerable part of the ingested sugar to energy, but this ability would reduce as she ages.
so Juliet becomes an adult and she grows increasingly lazier in activities and the usual ups and downs she'd consider as hyperactivity becomes hyper-stress
However, she continues her sugar intake as she goes to that luxury date, and goes to that awesome cinema which serves popcorn and soda to go with.
the sugar cravings continue
The occasional candy or cookie can give you a quick burst of energy (or “sugar high”) by raising your blood sugar levels fast.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM BEGINS
MOOD SWINGS
Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger. On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.
THE MOOD SWING INCREASES, THE CRAVINGS INCREASE EQUALLY
so obesity sets in...
Juliet wakes to see she's accumulated body mass. Also she starts having issues with her teeth but the amazing floride toothpaste she uses with her prolific dentist coupled with occasional flossing, she saves her teeth. She tries to hit the gym, but she isn't consistent enough. so she gives up, while the sugar cravings continue to grow.
HER JOURNEY TO GREATER PAIN BEGINS
Juliet develops arthritis!
If you have joint pain, here’s more reason to lay off the candy: Eating lots of sweets has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation they cause in the body. Plus, studies show that sugar consumption can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
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at this point iknow you might scoff at this...
[eye rolls] arthritis is for the old!
no, you're wrong! in history arthritis especially rheumatoid arthritis has affected people even as young as 17 years.
Rheumatoid Arthritis affects about 2.1 million in the U.S., mostly women. It usually starts between the ages of 20 – 50 years. It is a inflammatory disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks its healthy tissues. This is called an auto-immune disease. The disease incapacitates the synovial tissue which is the membrane that lines the joints and secretes the lubricant that normally allows bones to move painlessly. This condition will cause joints to become tender, swollen and even deformed. It can also spread to other parts of the body.
MORE HAPPENS TO JULIET
At age 35, Juliet now probably looks 45! Juliet begins to age faster than she has ever imagined and this even affects her more.
Another side effect of inflammation: It may make your skin age faster. Sugar attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and creates harmful molecules called “AGEs,” or advanced glycation end products. These molecules do exactly what they sound like they do: age your skin
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she begins to have serious issues with her vital organs, the pancreas, the kidney, the liver and juliet is lucky she isn't a man, if she had been, his sexual life which had been flailing also goes to an all time lowand erection might become impossibility hence IMPOTENCE.
juliet begins to grow ill more often.
diabetes
Kidney Stones
Osteoporosis
Depressed Immune System
Alzheimer's
Cancer
Increased Risk of a Heart Attack
these become possible problems Juliet faces along the line of aging.
and one day, she dies of cardiac arrest!
This isn't just the story of juliet but that of everyone who takes in excess sugar. In my next sugar -related post i shall talk about ways to get rid of that excess sugar in your system. thanks for reading!