Why Eating Sugar leads to weight gain?!

You might think, "I’m not even consuming that much sugar." But are you sure? Many foods we eat contain hidden sugars without us realizing it, especially processed foods that often include added sugars, even when they don’t taste sweet. Food companies frequently use alternative names for sugar, making it harder to recognize on ingredient labels.

Here are some common alternative names for sugar

Agave nectar, brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, malt syrup, fructose, maple syrup, cane crystals, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, cane sugar, glucose, raw sugar, corn sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey, syrup, maltose, dextrose, invert sugar.

Now that you know how hidden sugars are sneaking into your diet, let’s talk about how sugar affects your body.

There are several harmful effects of consuming sugar, but have you ever thought about why eating sugar makes you gain weight?

(Before we get into this let me clear that eating some amount of sugar is ok, but consuming too much of it can lead to weight gain and other harmful effects.)

This is how your body turns sugar into fat…

What happens is, when you eat sugar and other carbs, your body breaks it down into glucose, now this glucose is released into your blood stream, in response to this your pancreas release insulin hormone ( control blood glucose level), insulin will move this glucose from your blood into cells. And your body will now use it as a source of energy.

Now, when you eat excess amount of sugar, your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels will be increased, and this extra amount of glucose will be stored into your liver and muscles as glycogen. When you will lack energy your body will use this glycogen as a source of energy.

But, the problem is your body can store only 600 grams of glycogen at a time. So, when you eat too much sugar your body will turn that glucose into fat and store it around your abdomen (subcutaneous layer) and Liver . When you use all the stored glycogen your body will use this fat as a source of energy.

Here are 5 reasons why eating sugar leads to weight gain…

1. Empty calories

Sugary food and carbohydrates are high in calories, and draws zero nutritional value. It is called empty calories. And as we’ve seen above these extra calories will be turned into fat.

2. Insulin spike

Eating too much sugar will cause your pancreas to produce more insulin since it controls blood sugar levels. Insulin will quickly lower your blood sugar and you’ll feel hungry again and crave more sugar.

3. Avoid healthier food

When you eat sugary and processed food daily, you’re more likely to avoid healthy food options. If you really want to eat something sweet, instead of eating mango ice cream you can freeze fresh mango. This will draw more nutritional value.

4. Appetite

Sugar triggers a feeling of pleasure. Sugar affects hormones that regulate the reward system in your brain. Makes you crave more sugar even if you are full And makes you overeat.

5. Obesity and chronic disease

Studies show that foods high in added sugar can increase your risk of chronic health conditions . High sugary foods cause weight gain and end up chronic disease like, obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.

Bottom line

You don’t need to cut out sugar completely, but being mindful of your intake can go a long way in preventing weight gain and other health issues. Start by recognizing hidden sugars in your diet and taking control before it’s too late.

Bonus tip: Combine your sugar with nutritional foods and drink plenty of water.