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Introduction:
Sugar—sweet, irresistible, and all throughout our modern diets. From morning coffee to evening desserts, it finds its way into almost everything we consume. Yet, beyond its delightful taste, sugar can have profound effects on our health, influencing everything from energy levels to chronic diseases. In this blog, we explore the impact of sugar on the body and consider how chiropractic care can play a role in managing its effects.
Effects on Health
1. Energy Rollercoaster:
Sugar provides a quick burst of energy but leads to rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. This rollercoaster effect can leave you feeling fatigued, irritable, and craving more sugar.
2. Weight Management:
Excessive sugar intake contributes to weight gain and obesity. It’s not just the calories; sugar disrupts hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, leading to overeating.
3. Inflammation:
Sugar consumption triggers inflammation in the body, which is linked to various chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
4. Dental Health:
Sugar fuels harmful bacteria in the mouth, leading to cavities and gum disease.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone that your adrenal glands produce and release.
Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.
Glucocorticoids are a type of steroid hormone. They suppress inflammation in all of your bodily tissues and control metabolism in your muscles, fat, liver and bones. They also affect sleep-wake cycles.
Your adrenal glands (or suprarenal glands), are small glands that are located on top of each of your two kidneys. They are a part of your endocrine system.
Cortisol is an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It plays many important roles, including:
– Regulating your body’s stress response.
– Helping control your body’s use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, or your metabolism.
– Suppressing inflammation.
– Regulating blood pressure.
– Regulating blood sugar.
– Helping control your sleep-wake cycle.
Your body continuously monitors your cortisol levels to maintain steady levels (homeostasis). Higher-than-normal or lower-than-normal cortisol levels can be harmful to your health.
Sugar and Cortisol
Sugar intake has been shown to alter cortisol metabolism. Consuming large amounts of sugar can cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, leading to feelings of fatigue and irritability. Additionally, high sugar intake has been linked to the development of chronic health conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, which can be sources of stress in themselves. Furthermore, high sugar intake can disrupt the balance of hormones in the body, such as cortisol, which can lead to an increase in stress levels. When your cortisol levels are disrupted, this can lead to changes in your metabolism, weight gain, inflammation, memory problems, anxiety and depression, headaches, heart disease, high/low blood pressure, and the list goes on!
Conclusion
Sugar’s effects on health are significant and far-reaching. By understanding how sugar impacts our bodies we can make informed choices for better health.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol
