Is Sugar Toxic?


Each cell in a human body requires energy to function. This energy comes many types of foods, including sugar. Research by American Heart Association in 2009 indicated that an average American consumes at least 22 teaspoons of sugar on a daily basis. Considering the feeding habits and the changing lifestyles of the majority of people around the world, these statistics may be a true representation of many other individuals in the world. The overload of sugar, coupled with other poor lifestyle habits such as lack of exercise, affects the body in strange ways. In particular, high intake of refined sugar is dangerous to one’s health. Many doctors and nutritional experts indicate that high intake of sugar is the major cause of health complications amongst the young people and the elderly as well. Therefore, this essay is in agreement with the idea that sugar is toxic.

Table sugar contains fructose, a component that triggers the liver to store fat more in the body organs. It is evident that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is on the rise today more than ever before. This is because of high sugar intake, and hence a build up of fat globules around the liver organ. Further, people who struggle with weight issues, and particularly in obesity, are likely to have consumed diets rich in refined sugar. Excessive weight brings about many other complications including hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Still, excessive intake of sugar causes a build up of insulin in the bloodstream, which further causes the smooth muscle cells around the blood vessels to grow faster than normal. Tension is built up in these vessels, making the majority of people to become good candidates for high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Sadly, the intake of excessive sugar makes many people live like drug addicts. Sugar’s intake triggers the release of brain chemicals such as opioids and dopamine. At such instances, people will develop a strange craving for sugary foods, and at the same time develop a tolerance for this excessive sugar. It means that these people have to depend on sugar, just like drugs, to experience the ‘good feeling’ on a regular basis. According to research, when sugar is taken away from an addicted individual, they are bound to show all sorts of symptoms such as tremors and anxiety. More so, sugar takes away the ability of an individual to tell when to stop eating. As a result, such an individual will continue eating as a ravenous animal, add weight and get exposed to many other health conditions. Sugar is also related to issues such as ageing and cholesterol problems. Clearly, excessive intake of sugar is toxic, and it should be avoided at all costs.