Doctor Reveals What Eating Sugar For Breakfast Really Does

1. The 'Dawn Phenomenon' & Blood Sugar Spikes

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If you start your day with a sugary breakfast, this could cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels. This isn't great at any time of the day, particularly in the morning because of what's known as "The Dawn Phenomenon" which is a natural rise in blood sugar levels that helps you to wake up. This is driven by hormonal changes and it's exacerbated by late-night or early-morning sugar and carbs. This can be particularly problematic for those with diabetes.

2. Increased Appetite

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If you eat a sugary breakfast each day, this has the potential to stimulate your appetite for the day. This might mean that you crave more sugary or high-calorie foods throughout the day, leading to perhaps overeating these kinds of foods and therefore facing various health issues in the long term.

3. Energy Crash

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That initial energy boost that you get from sugar can feel great in your mind at first, especially when you're tired in the morning. But it's incredibly short-lived because it's very often followed by an unwanted crash. This leaves you feeling irritable and fatigued and you might notice that people would rather avoid interactions with you if they can help it!

4. Weight Gain

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With the potential of overeating due to your increased cravings and appetite, you're in danger of unhealthy weight gain if you have a sugary breakfast every day. Besides, sugar also provides many excess calories and not much satiety, so you'll probably find yourself reaching for something else mid-morning.

5. Dental Problems

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It goes without saying but if you eat a lot of sugar, then you're probably going to experience problems with your teeth. This is because sugar promotes the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth which can lead to various dental issues including cavities and tooth decay.

6. Type 2 Diabetes

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Regularly consuming sugary breakfasts can also lead to health issues like Type 2 Diabetes.  This increased risk happens gradually over time. The risk is more associated with carrying excess weight rather than consuming too much sugar directly, but of course, this can be a consequence of high-sugar diets.

7. Inflammation

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Eating too much sugar can trigger inflammation in the body which can exacerbate certain health issues that you might already be experiencing, such as arthritis or skin problems.  Furthermore, it can be problematic for those who suffer from other chronic diseases such as heart disease.

8. Heart Disease

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If you're regularly eating high-sugar foods, you might also be putting yourself at risk of heart disease. This is because a diet high in sugar is linked to risk factors including elevated blood pressure and high triglycerides present within the blood.

9. Skin Issues

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Excessive sugar consumption is also often associated with various skin issues and can cause poor skin health. Many of the issues associated with regularly eating too much sugar include premature aging, increased wrinkles, as well as skin inflammation.

10. Poor Concentration

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Regularly and excessively consuming sugary foods can not only affect your physical health, but it can also affect your cognitive health too. And when your cognitive function is impaired, you will probably find that you struggle to concentrate on anything.

11. Mood Swings

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Sugar can also lead to mood swings. Particularly because eating it regularly and excessively can cause health problems, fatigue, cravings, as well as cognitive impairment.  All of this can also lead to other symptoms, like irritability and even symptoms of anxiety or depression in some people.

12. Fatigue

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When you consume too much sugar, by, for example, eating foods that are high in sugar every day for breakfast, you're more likely to have more unstable blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. This can in turn lead to chronic fatigue and other health issues.

13. Weakened Immune System

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Sugar can also suppress your immune function when consumed in excess. This, of course, makes your immunity to infections or illnesses much weaker and therefore weakens your defenses against these. This might mean that you're sick more often which can have a huge impact on your life.

14. Insulin Resistance

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Regularly and excessively eating sugary breakfasts can also wreak havoc on your body as it can lead to insulin resistance. This is where your body's cells don't respond well to insulin. When this happens, this could be a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

15. Increased Triglycerides

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Eating too many foods that are considered unhealthy, like sugary breakfasts every day can also increase your triglycerides. High triglycerides are often a tell-tale sign of other conditions, like obesity and metabolic syndrome, that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

16. Fatty Liver

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High sugar consumption, like what you might have at breakfast time also has the potential to contribute to a fatty liver. Yes, that's right, even though fatty liver has often been associated with drinking alcohol, there is a such thing as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This is characterized by too much fat on the liver.

17. Reduced Nutrient Absorption

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Even if you consume healthier foods for the rest of the day and consider your diet balanced, unfortunately, the excess sugar that you've already consumed first thing can interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients, potentially leading to nutrient deficiencies.

18. Depression

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There have been many studies into the effects that excess sugar consumption can have on the body that have found that too much sugar intake is bad for your physical health.  Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Studies have also found that there could be some negative effects on your well being too and could potentially put some people at a higher risk of developing depression.

19. Altered Hormone Levels

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Eating too much sugar every day can also alter your hormone levels. Research has found that a high consumption of sugar in the diet can disrupt the hormone balance within the body. When hormones are imbalanced, this can potentially have adverse effects on the menstrual cycle and reproductive organs.

20. Acne

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As well as premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, and other skin health problems, many people may also experience worsened acne.  This might be due to the hormonal fluctuations caused by sugar consumption, or even the inflammation that may come as a result too.

21. Cellular Aging

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Starting your day out with a sugary breakfast has also been associated with cellular aging.  Studies have found that those who consume excess sugar have cells that show the signs of premature aging and dysfunction. This can then lead to other health issues and diseases.

22. Weakened Bones

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As well as potentially preventing your body from absorbing the essential nutrients from your food, possibly leading to nutrient deficiencies, sugar can also leach calcium from your bones. This could potentially lead to weaker bones and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

23. Increased Cancer Risk

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If you consume excessive amounts of sugar on a regular basis, say, for breakfast every day, this has been linked to an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.  Research has found that excessive sugar consumption puts you at more risk of breast and colon cancer.

24. Joint Pain

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There is also the possibility that regular and excessive sugar intake can also cause joint pain.  This is because of the inflammation that is potentially triggered by high sugar intake that can worsen joint pain, particularly in those that have existing conditions like arthiritis.

25. Brain Fog

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Brain fog is unpleasant and can present itself as a lack of focus, memory loss, fatigue, difficulties in following directions, getting lost easily, and more. And studies have found that excessive sugar consumption can lead to people potentially experiencing brain fog.

26. Increased Cravings

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If you start your day with sugar, there is the possibility that you're going to continue in the same way in terms of your diet. You see, consuming sugar first thing has been found to trigger cravings for more sugar throughout the day, making it more difficult to control your diet.

27. Digestive Problems

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High sugar intake can also wreak havoc on your digestive health too. Studies have found that if you eat excessive amounts of sugar day to day, this can lead to digestive discomfort, including bloating, excessive gas, and even diarrhea in some unfortunate cases.

28. Decreased Lifespan

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Excessive sugar consumption has been associated with increased health risks. With the increased risks of cancer, inflammation, heart disease, and other serious conditions, these can contribute to an overall reduced health span and decreased lifespan. This might mean a shorter life with more health issues.

29. Sugar Awareness

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Despite the risks, it's more important to have some awareness surrounding the sugar that you consume. For example, natural sugars that are found in fruits and some dairy products come with nutrients and fiber so could mitigate some of these negative effects.

30. Healthier Options

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Overall, added sugars, like those that you might find in many branded breakfast cereals, pastries, sugary beverages, and more are the primary concern when it comes to health impacts. Opting for a balanced low-sugar option can be a healthier choice for your well-being.