With each passing day, America is becoming more obese.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third (36.5%) of the US population is obese. This obesity epidemic is one of the most disconcerting public health issues we’re facing these days.
One of the more prominent reasons for this epidemic is the high intake of sugar. In fact, the Government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans has specifically recommended that sugar in the daily diet be restricted to no more than 10%.
What Excessive Sugar Does In Your Body
Sugar, or sucrose, is a carbohydrate that contains glucose and fructose. This sugar is broken down into glucose by our body. When glucose reaches the bloodstream, blood sugar levels rise.
To bring the high sugar levels back to normal, our pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which distributes glucose into the body’s cells, thus easing high sugar levels. Everything’s going smoothly so far.
The problem occurs when you increase the level of sugar in the bloodstream—high amounts that your body doesn’t have any use for. This extra sugar makes your pancreas overproduce insulin.
Excess Sugar Is Converted Into Fat
Now, what does your body do about this increased amount of insulin? It sends it to the muscles, liver and fat cells, for later use.
Sadly though, our bodies have limited capacity for storage. When that is exceeded, the remaining glycogen (sugar) is converted into fat. This leads to long-term inflammation, which can cause several health conditions.
Excess Sugar Intake Can Cause Craving
When sugar reaches your bloodstream, it activates the reward centers in your brain. This releases hormones such as serotonin and endorphins, which have a drug-like calming and happy influence.
What’s more, sugar tastes good. Once your taste buds start enjoying foods and drinks that are high in sugar, they start craving them more.
Cause for Sugar Craving May Be Living Inside Our Guts
Our intestine is home to many bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These gut microbes, as they are often called, are surprisingly important for our digestive health.
Sugar and carbohydrates reach our intestines and feed the bacteria in it. A study revealed that the amount of sugar we crave is determined by our gut flora. The more unhealthy bacteria that reside in it, the more sugar our body will desire to deal with them. With high cravings for sugar, the chances of gaining weight also increase.
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