We all know that in the world we exist in, everything aspect of our life is fast. Fast cars, fast internet, fast phones, and fast computers have influenced our eating habits and introduced fast food. Although these foods are quick to prepare and consume, they contain vast quantities of processed sugars. The sugar industry has tried to change public opinion on sugar, but sugar can harm the liver. However, it is a proven fact that sugar can harm the liver and cause numerous health problems.
One of the organs on which sugar has a negative effect is the liver. The liver is the largest organ in our body, and its most important job is to produce substances that help break down fat. The liver does the creation of plasma and protein. People usually associate alcohol with liver problems, but this is not entirely true. Excess sugar is now the leading cause of liver failure. Damaging the liver before it can heal itself can lead to a failed liver, such a condition is life-threatening. We have listed below the different ways of how sugar can harm the liver.
Sugar Can Harm Liver By Causing Fatty Liver
When we consume foods containing sugar, the body's first job is to break it down to glucose. Glucose is smaller and easily digested by the body, which in turn causes a rise in the sugar levels in our blood. The pancreas releases insulin to deal with this spike in glucose. Some of the glucose is quickly used by the body to provide energy, and the rest is stored as glycogen for later use. Over time the glycogen stores get full, and if the glucose content in the blood keeps on increasing. As a result, insulin converts excess glucose to fat. This fat accumulates around the liver and causes a fatty liver as the liver cells get replaced by fat cells. In this way, it is not only alcohol that causes fatty liver, but sugar can harm the liver as well.
Sugar Can Harm Liver By Causing Inflamed Liver
Fat storage is only the tip of the iceberg of problems you have to deal with. Consuming sugar causes inflammatory chemicals called cytokines to enter the body. Consistent consumption of sugar can cause the body to reach a saturation point with cytokines. This gives rise to inflammatory diseases and can lead to an inflamed or enlarged liver. With the rise of COVID-19 where a lot of people fall sick, it is important to adopt a strong immune system. A healthy immune system gives you a fighting chance against the virus. Excess consumption of sugar weakens the immune system and makes you vulnerable to virus attacks.
Sugar Can Harm Liver, Quit It At The Earliest
As we have examined, it is not only alcohol that can cause liver problems but refined sugars as well. Quit foods such as cakes, sweetened drinks like Cola, Pepsi, ice-cream, chocolate, donuts. Eliminating processed foods such as bread, rice, and potato chips from our diet decreases blood sugar levels. Thus, avoiding the risk of fat accumulation at the liver. Eat whole food like fruits, vegetables, and natural fats found in avocado. Natural fats help boost the immune system and help lose fat if taken in the right quantities.
Processed sugar found in refined food is known to cause skin allergies like acne. Consuming large quantities of foods with a high glycemic index can lead to skin allergies. Furthermore, sugar increases the creation of androgen and oils on the skin causing it to block pores and cause irritation. Excess of sugar in the body gives rise to compounds that react with the protein in your body. These compounds cause premature aging of the skin. Furthermore, the loss of collagen results in the skin losing its elasticity, thus leading to sagging.
Increased consumption of refined sugars can increase the production of insulin. As a result, your body can create insulin resistance, leading to various cancers.
Processed sugars can give a quick rise in energy and insulin levels, like coffee. However, this boost is quickly lost as insulin quickly normalizes the sudden sweet spike. This is called a crash; a crash can have adverse effects like the sudden loss of energy and giddiness.
Conclusion
If you have a sugar addiction, you may show withdrawal symptoms if you try to remove it from your diet. You may feel lethargic and sluggish. A supplement called L-Tyrosine can reduce the cravings and help recover your mood. Magnesium is another mineral that will help calm your nerves, thus reducing headaches. Among other symptoms, headaches and mood swings are typical withdrawal symptoms. Always remember sugar can harm the liver, so try to reduce or altogether remove it from your diet.
