Put That Cookie Down! How Sugar Ruins Your Health

There’s a reason why sugar has the notorious nickname “The White Death.”

It may taste great, but the consequences of eating sugar can be staggeringly detrimental to your health and the functionality of your body. What exactly happens when we eat excess sugar? We know how a high-sugar diet wreaks havoc on our teeth and oral health.

More importantly, what else is sugar doing to our bodies?

As Arnold says in the film Jingle All the Way, “Put that cookie down! NOW!”

We live in an age where processed sugar is injected into many foods.

Food companies claim sugar is used to “preserve shelf-life.” While that might be true, it’s also true that so many foods labeled as “healthy” aren’t really that healthy at all. Hidden sugars run rampant, and consumers need to be more aware of what’s in their foods and what they put into their bodies.

Considering it’s Christmas, and people think calories and consequences stop working for the holidays, let’s break down what happens when we eat sugar.

Disclaimer: There is a big difference between sugar from processed foods and foods with naturally occurring sugar, like blueberries.

For the sake of time, this article will focus on processed sugar and what transpires in the body due to overeating it.

The Sugar Science

Sugar is addictive.

Don’t believe me?

Science says that the average American unknowingly consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily. Unknowingly!

The American Heart Association has stated that men should consume less than 9 teaspoons a day, and the number for women is even lower, coming in at 6 teaspoons. We’re way off-base here.

Processed sugar gives your brain a massive surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine. Much more than that of whole foods like fruits or vegetables. Once you get that mini “high” from your processed food–like those Christmas cookies–your brain craves another dopamine hit to satisfy the “hunger.”

It’s not hunger for food, though. It’s a dopamine hunger.

And you won’t fulfill that “gotta-have-it” sensation with a carrot. So, another cookie it is!

Adding even more processed sugar shoots your insulin levels through the roof. When you cease eating the sugar, by choice or from sleeping, the dreaded and inevitable “sugar crash” follows.

Once your cells have absorbed the sugar, your insulin levels drop quickly, resulting in feeling jittery or anxious. It’s the sugar crash.

That’s just the beginning and not even the worst part. Let’s look at what happens to our organs from processed sugar.

The Results

Maybe you feel like you’ve got it under control and keep the sugar crashes at bay with a scheduled dose of sugar.

Cool, bro. YOU might be stronger, but that doesn’t mean your body agrees.

Oral Health

Sugar rots your teeth. Your parents and your dentist have been telling you since you were twelve. But it’s true. The bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar left over in your mouth after indulging in your sweets.

Have you ever seen a successful salesperson missing teeth? That’s because there are none.

Dental work is expensive as hell. Don’t risk it.

Mental Health

Studies have shown that a high-sugar diet increases the risk of depression.

The same studies also indicate that men are more at risk of adverse mental health conditions related to sugar than women. Men who consume more than 40 grams of sugar daily are highly likely to be diagnosed with depression in a few years.

Joint Health

Eating excess processed sugar has been shown to increase inflammation within the body. Additionally, data has shown how consistently eating or drinking sugar can raise your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Skin Health

Another fun byproduct of inflammation is that it ages your skin faster.

Excess sugar attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and creates harmful molecules called “AGEs,” or advanced glycation end products.

These molecules do what they sound like they do: age your skin. AGEs damage collagen and elastin in your skin–protein fibers that keep your skin firm and youthful. The result? Wrinkles and saggy skin.

Heart Health

When you eat or drink too much sugar, the extra insulin damages the walls of your arteries all over the body over time. It causes the arterial walls to get inflamed, growing thicker and stiffer.

This puts immense stress on your heart and can lead to heart diseases like heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes.

Research also shows that eating less sugar can lower blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease.

People who eat a lot of added sugar–25% of their calories coming from added sugar–are twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets include less than 10% of total calories from added sugar.

Sexual Health

If you're a man, you should think twice about getting ice cream after dinner. Sugar may impact performance, affecting the chain of events needed to get an erection.

Since sugar impairs circulatory function, controlling blood flow throughout the body and lowering your sugar intake are best to avoid any issues.

Brain Health

Living off of added sugar will lead to cognitive decline.

High blood sugar over time damages blood vessels in the brain that carry oxygen-rich blood. When your brain receives too little blood, brain cells die.

This is called brain atrophy and can cause problems with memory and thinking and eventually can lead to vascular dementia.

How’s your cookie sounding now?

The Solution

Cutting out sugar entirely may not be the answer, either.

Only some people can do and maintain a ketogenic diet. The goal is to reduce the overall sugar intake so you don’t become dependent on getting your fix.

So, how much sugar is safe to consume daily?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, recommends limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of daily calories.

Now that you know how harmful excess sugar can be to your well-being, reducing its consumption can positively impact your health. Here are some tips that can help you reduce your sugar intake:

• Start looking at food labels and see how much sugar is in the food or condiment you’ll be using.

• Don’t consume liquid calories. When thirsty, don’t grab a soda. Go for sparkling water, instead.

• Eat foods that contain natural sugars, like fruits. Be careful of getting canned fruit. Make sure they don’t add sugary syrup to it.

• Replace sugar with spices in meals to improve the taste.

• Consider using extracts (orange, almond, vanilla, or lemon) instead of sugar in recipes.

• Eat more whole foods like meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Add emphasis on fruit if you’re cutting back on processed sugar, but only temporarily.

The BMM Takeaway

We know that health is the greatest wealth.

So, it’s important to remember that as entrepreneurs, we mustn’t sacrifice our health to gain more wealth.

Time and time again, we’ve seen business owners do whatever it takes to win at business and not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of their labor. There’s no point in becoming wealthy and successful if you don’t have the health or longevity to enjoy it.

Having a twelfth cup of coffee loaded with processed sugar as you power through your 18-20 hour workday is a recipe for dying young —courtesy of “the white death.”

Be aware. Be smart when it comes to your health.

You can enjoy one or two Christmas cookies. Just not the entire package.