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What Are the Dangers of a Diet High in Refined Sugar Products?

A diet high in refined sugar consists of mass consumption of simple carbohydrates found in foods that contain white flour or refined sugar. Refined sugar is natural sugar that has been processed several times to remove the sucrose from the plants, followed by removing the nutrients to create the final product. Although a high-sugar diet provides short bursts of energy, it can also lead to many serious health complications.

  1. Obesity

    • Consuming high amounts of refined sugar daily causes obesity, as sugar that is not burned off is converted into fat and stored in your body.

    Heart Disease

    • Refined sugar is often found in foods that contain saturated fat. This fat increases low-density lipoprotein (proteins that transport fatty substances in blood) levels in your body, creating cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels, which in turn causes high blood pressure and increases your risk of coronary artery disease and stroke.

    Diabetes

    • Refined sugar increases insulin release, which destabilizes your blood-sugar level by raising it to dangerously high levels. Over time, these high levels may develop into type 2 diabetes.

    Oral Health

    • Excessive amounts of refined sugar consumed over a period of time can lead to tooth decay due to the sugar's acidity eating away at the enamel on your teeth.

    Immune System

    • Too much refined sugar in the body competes with vitamin C by entering healthy cells. Cells need vitamin C to fight off bacteria such as colds and the flu. If refined sugar enters the cell before vitamin C has a chance to, your immune system is temporarily weakened.

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