(NaturalHealth365)  Let’s face it, sugar is extremely prevalent in today’s society.  Many of the prepared and processed foods in grocery stores contain an alarming amount of sugar.  This is why it’s well worth taking the extra minute or so to read the nutrition label before buying any packaged food item.

We already know the typical dangers of sugar consumption such as obesity, tooth decay, and low energy, but there are many other conditions out there that you may not be aware of.

Excessive sugar intake damages your health in MULTIPLE ways, studies show

Here are seven surprising ways that sugar harms your health.

Studies link high intake of sugar to a depressive mood.

Sugar intake has been shown to increase depressive mood. It causes certain chemical processes in the brain that cause depression.

If you experience depression, cutting back on sugar may help boost your outlook on life.

Immune function reduced by eating too much sugar.

Sugar consumption, especially fructose and high fructose corn syrup, lowers your immune system’s ability to function.  What’s more, yeast and bacteria feed on sugar so consuming excessive amounts of sugar can cause infections as these organisms build up in the body.

Instead of all the sugar-laden foods, eat ones that are rich in probiotics.

Sugary foods can make your anxiety worse.

When sugar is a standard part of your diet, you could be inviting in anxiety.  High amounts of sugar in the diet have been shown to induce mood disorders in both women and men, namely anxiety.

Eating too much sugar can sabotage your weight loss goals, but it can do even more harm.

Regular sugar consumption can cause weight gain and obesity.  When you couple this with the depression and anxiety that is common with such a diet, body dissatisfaction becomes more prevalent.

Even someone who is not overweight may start to feel self-loathing and dissatisfaction with themselves.

Sugar-laden diet may cause you to lose self-control.

All too often, a person will indulge in sugar even though they know exactly what it does to their bodies.  Even if a person is diabetic or pre-diabetic, he or she will often still consume sugar just because they want it or feel compelled to have it.

Sugar takes a toll on your skin, destroys collagen production.

High sugar diets damage the collagen and elastin molecules in the skin.  This results in sagging and wrinkles.

This can make you look older than you actually are.  It can also cause your skin to appear dull, giving you a haggard appearance.

Too much sugar cheats you out of nutrients.

When you eat a lot of sugar you might be cheating your body out of important nutrients like vitamins A, C, B-12, and the mineral calcium.  This can lead to nutrition deficiencies, which is a foundation of obesity.

What’s the bottom line?  Although low sugar diets are very popular, do not fall into the trap.  Not all sugar is created equal and you should not avoid sugars from whole foods such as organic fruits.  Whole fruits offer many benefits to your health, including dietary fiber, disease-fighting antioxidants – and no added sugar.

Many processed and prepared foods contain a lot of sugar, even those foods that you would never expect.  The best thing you can do is always read the label.

One of the best ways to reduce sugar in your diet is by eliminating sugar cravings.  While this may seem like a daunting task, it is well worth the effort as over time, you will feel different mentally and physically in a good way.

You will feel better, healthier, and you will have more energy.  This is the only body you are going to get in life.  Take care of it so that it will work for you in years to come.

Sources for this article include:

UTHM.edu
DSpace.Library.uu.nl
SCIRP.org
NIH.gov
TandFOnline.com
NIH.gov