Sugar is considered bad for health mainly because excessive consumption can lead to a range of serious health problems. These include weight gain and obesity, increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, depression, fatty liver disease, tooth decay, and accelerated aging at the cellular level. Sugar, especially from sugary beverages, can increase hunger and calorie intake, promote inflammation, raise blood pressure and triglycerides, and impair liver function. It also negatively affects mental health and is linked to insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.
Key Health Risks of Excess Sugar
- Weight Gain and Obesity: Sugar-sweetened beverages and foods increase calorie intake and hunger, leading to fat accumulation, especially visceral fat linked to diabetes and heart disease.
- Heart Disease: High sugar intake is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, partly by causing inflammation, high blood pressure, and fatty liver.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Sugar intake contributes to obesity which is a strong risk factor for diabetes and can lead to insulin resistance.
- Cancer Risk: Diets high in sugar may increase inflammation and insulin resistance, factors that raise the risk of certain cancers.
- Mental Health Impact: High sugar consumption is linked to depression and anxiety due to its effects on brain signaling and inflammation.
- Liver Damage: Fructose in sugar is processed by the liver and can cause fatty liver disease, inflammation, and scarring.
- Dental Health: Sugar promotes tooth decay by feeding harmful oral bacteria.
- Other Risks: Sugar contributes to kidney disease, gout, and cognitive decline through various metabolic and inflammatory pathways.
Sugar poses little risk when consumed in small amounts, but overconsumption from modern diets, especially via processed foods and sugary drinks, is the main cause of these negative health effects. Limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of daily calories is recommended to reduce these risks.
This summary outlines why sugar is bad for health and highlights the necessity of moderating its consumption for overall well-being.
