(NaturalNews) Sugar in its natural and unrefined form does have a lot of benefits. It is responsible for giving young kids the kind of energy they have. However, too much sugary food can affect a young teenager's development. Some of the bad effects of sugar include increasing the risk to obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, poor nutrition and high blood pressure. Sugar has also been linked to heart diseases and even cancer development.
Sugary foods promote tooth decay
Sugars, especially those found in candies and other treats, are known to cause damage on a child's teeth. Sugar is what bacteria in the mouth feed on and these bacteria, in turn, attack the teeth which will eventually lead to decay. When this goes on at an early stage, it can affect a child until adulthood. It may be a trivial matter, but oral health does have serious implications on the overall well-being of an individual.
Sugary foods lead to poor nutrition
The main problem with children in general is that because they love sweet treats so much, it tends to replace all other forms of food. Although it provides them with energy that allows them to participate in physical activities, the truth is sugar has very low nutritional value. Doctors recommend that calories from sugar should only make up 10 or 15 percent of daily, caloric intake. But the trouble is sugar actually contributes as much as 20 percent to an individual's daily, caloric intake.
Sugary treats increase the risk of diabetes
The more children are exposed to sugar, the higher insulin increases in the body. This puts the pancreas in danger and such may lead to diabetes which a young teenager can suffer from immensely later on in his or her lifetime. Furthermore, too much sugar can also increase insulin resistance. In other words, the body's ability to reduce blood sugar levels is compromised.
Sugar can lead to obesity
Weight gain is a big issue as it has several bad health effects. And sugar is one of the big contributors to weight gain. Unused sugar in the body leads to fat deposits. And as easy as it is to put on the weight, it gets quite difficult to lose it.
Sugar increases blood pressure
Too much sugar also increases the risk to high blood pressure. According to a study involving stroke patients with high and normal blood sugar levels, those with high blood sugar level have a lower chances of survival.
Sugar increases the risk to heart disease
Sugary foods can affect cholesterol levels. Although studies do not prove that sugar can directly affect cholesterol levels, they do show a link. Young teenagers who consume large amounts of sugar in their diet are found to have lower good cholesterol levels and higher bad cholesterol levels. And everyone knows such effects can contribute to the development of heart diseases.
Sugar may also cause cancer
Several studies discount claims of cancer cells feeding on sugar. However, sugary foods do increase insulin levels in the body which in turn, encourages cell growth. While this is positive to good cells, it becomes negative when it also encourages cancer cell growth.
About the author: Sandeep is an avid rock climber, Mountaineer, runner, and fitness coach. He shares his tips for staying in shape and eating healthy on several fitness sites.
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