From peanut butter to marinara sauce, added sugars are present in even the least expected foodstuffs. For meals and snacks, many individuals rely on instant, processed foods. These foods contribute a significant amount of their daily caloric intake because they frequently contain added sugar. In the United States, added sugars make up about 17% of adults’ total calorie consumption and up to 14% of children’s total calorie intake (Neri et al., 2019).
 
The consequences of eating too much sugar are diverse and manifold. As an example, people who have the habit of taking more than the recommended intake develop diabetes mellitus, which is a severe endocrinologic health problem with widespread consequences. Diabetic people have their pancreas exhausted because of hyperglycemia, which is an excess of glucose in the blood. Hyperglycemia, per se, is problematic, and it leads to many profound health consequences including obesity and hypertension which are risk factors for heart attack and stroke as well. 
 
The exact mechanism by which sugar affects cardiovascular health is unknown, but it tends to have numerous indirect links. For example, excessive sugar overloads the liver. This can lead to an increase in fat accumulation over time, which can lead to fatty liver, a contributor to hypoglycemia, and an increased risk of heart disease. Excessive added sugar consumption can increase blood pressure and inflammatory responses, both of which serve as pathological pathways to cardiovascular diseases. Excess sugar consumption, particularly in sugary beverages, contributes to weight issues by deceiving your body into switching off its appetite-control mechanism as liquid calories are less satisfying than calories from solid foods. This is why consuming sugary beverages makes it simpler for individuals to add more carbohydrate intake to their regular diet.
 
Over the past thirty years, the incidence of diabetes has nearly doubled globally. Although there are many contributing factors, there is no doubt that consuming too much sugar increases the chance of developing diabetes. The biggest risk concern for diabetes is regarded to be obesity, which is frequently brought on by eating foods that contain too much sugar. Additionally, long-term intake of high sugar levels promotes insulin resistance, an important hormone made by the pancreas that controls blood sugar levels. Your chance of developing diabetes is significantly increased by insulin resistance.
 
Foods with a lot of added sugar quickly increase insulin and blood sugar levels, giving you more energy. This increase in energy levels, though, is just temporary. Products that are high in sugar but low in protein, fiber, or fat cause a temporary surge in energy that is immediately followed by a severe drop in sugar levels, also known as a crash. Constant blood sugar fluctuations might cause significant changes in energy levels. The American Heart Association recommends that women should consume just around 100 calories (about 6 tsp or 24 g) of added sugar per day, and men should consume at most 150 calories (about 9 tsp or 36 g) (Cohen et al., 2018). That is approximately the same as a 12 oz. can of soda.
 
The first step in cutting down sugar intake is to avoid excessive intake of sugary foods altogether. Cola drinks, energy drinks, confectionery, and chocolates are examples of such foods. Even some fruits with a high content of sugar, such as mangoes and watermelon may need to be removed from the diet. Reading ingredients and nutrition labels is amongst the most effective ways to keep track of your sugar intake. Look for added sugar labeled as brown sugar, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, fruit concentrates, honey, invert sugar, and malt sugar and try to avoid or reduce the amount or frequency of foods that contain them. Making your wholesome meals at home is another approach to reducing your intake of added sugar. Following these steps, your dependence on sugar will vanish within a short period.
 
References
Cohen, J. F., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Young, J., & Oken, E. (2018). Associations of prenatal and child sugar intake with child cognition. American journal of preventive medicine, 54(6), 727-735.
Neri, D., Martinez‐Steele, E., Monteiro, C. A., & Levy, R. B. (2019). Consumption of ultra‐processed foods and its association with added sugar content in the diets of US children, NHANES 2009‐2014. Pediatric obesity, 14(12), e12563.