Danielle Moore
Eating too much sugar regularly puts enormous pressure on your body. But how much sugar is too much sugar? And which symptoms indicate an overload? An overview.
Too much sugar? That’s what the WHO advises
Germans eat too much sugar: Statistically, around 44 kilos per capita per year – divided into 34 kilos of white sugar, 9 kilos of added sugar (syrup, glucose, and fructose), and 1 kilo of honey. A total of no more than 9 kilos is recommended.
Nevertheless, sugar is an important supplier of energy – if you consume it in moderation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been calling for a drastic reduction in sugar consumption for years. Experts recommend consuming no more than 50 grams of free sugar per day – about 10 percent of your daily energy intake. The WHO classifies 5 percent of the daily amount of energy as even more tolerable, i.e. 25 grams of added sugar per day. That equates to about six teaspoons.
However, this does not only include the sugar with which the espresso is sweetened: all types of sugar that are hidden in soft drinks, yogurts, ready meals, muesli, protein bars, spreads, etc. are included. Foods with a natural sugar content – for example, fresh fruit, fruit, or milk – do not count as suppliers of free sugar for the WHO.
Too much sugar: These symptoms are an alarm signal
The most well-known and most hated side effect of too much sugar – besides diabetes and tooth decay – is weight gain. The body stores excess calories in fatty tissue and the scales show more and more. However, these symptoms can also occur if you consume too much sugar:
Too much sugar makes you hungry faster
Classic household sugar or white flour products are among the so-called empty energy suppliers: the sugar they contain is quickly broken down as glucose in the blood, drives up the blood sugar level, and provides energy. When the glucose is used up, the blood sugar level rushes back down. The result: Shortly after eating, you feel hungry again.
Difficulty concentrating due to high blood sugar levels
Something else also happens in the body due to the increased blood sugar level in the blood: the glucose does not get to the cells in which it is needed – for example to the brain. That’s why you often suffer from concentration problems after too much sugar.
Sugar rush causes fatigue
Difficulty concentrating is often accompanied by excessive tiredness after consuming too much sugar. If the blood sugar level drops quickly after a short sugar surge, an energy deficit develops in the body, which makes you feel weak and powerless.
Sugar consumption causes digestive problems
Diarrhea, constipation, flatulence – all these symptoms indicate too much sugar in the blood. Because sugar throws the intestinal flora off balance: unhealthy bacteria and fungi multiply faster, and the intestinal mucosa becomes thinner. Digestive problems also include an increased urge to urinate. If you have too much sugar in your blood, your body tries to get rid of it: you have to go to the toilet more often.
Impure and dry skin caused by too much sugar
Added sugar fuels inflammation in the body, which is also noticeable on the skin. Too much sugar promotes the development of pimples, blackheads, and acne. Another skin problem is triggered by the increased urge to urinate: If you have to go to the toilet frequently, you dehydrate more quickly – dry skin is the result.
Sugar can weaken the immune system
The disturbed intestinal flora leads to a weakened immune system as another symptom of too much sugar. Because many of the valuable immune cells are located in the intestine and become inactive as soon as fungi and bacteria multiply. This increased susceptibility to infections often results in a tendency to the bladder and fungal infections.
The link between too much sugar and depression
Too much sugar does not only harm the body. The psyche also suffers from a regular excess of sugar. If you eat too much sugar at once, the brain reacts with overstraining. This is noticeable in mood swings. If the excessive demands are repeated, again and again, depression and anxiety disorders can be promoted in extreme cases.
