150+ adverse health effects of refined sugar intake
Draft copy. Last update: 6/4/24.
- Sugar can suppress the immune system. [1]
- Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.[2]
- Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.[3]
- Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.[4]
- Sugar can adversely affect children's school grades.[5]
- Sugar can product a significant rise in triglycerides.[6]
- Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.[7]
- Sugar can cause kidney damage.[8]
- Sugar can reduce helpful high density lipoproteins (HDLs).[9]
- Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful low density lipoproteins (LDLs).[10]
- Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.[11]
- Sugar can lead to copper deficiency.[12]
- Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.[13]
- Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and rectum.[14]
- Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women.[15]
- Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.[16]
- Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.[17]
- Sugar can weaken eyesight.[18]
- Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.[19]
- Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.[20]
- Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.[21]
- Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.[22]
- Sugar malabsorption is common in those with functional bowel disease.[23]
- Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.[24]
- Sugar can lead to alcoholism.[25]
- Sugar can promote tooth decay.[26]
- Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.[27]
- High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease.[28]
- Sugar can cause a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.[29]
- Sugar can cause arthritis.[30]
- Sugar can cause asthma.[31]
- Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection).[32]
- Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.[33]
- Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.[34]
- Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.[35]
- Sugar can cause appendicitis.[36]
- Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.[37]
- Sugar can indirectly cause hemorrhoids.[38]
- Sugar can cause varicose veins.[39]
- Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.[40]
- Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.[41]
- Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.[42]
- Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.[43]
- Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.[44]
- Sugar can cause decreased glucose tolerance.[45]
- Sugar can decrease growth hormone.[46]
- Sugar can increase cholesterol.[47]
- Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.[48]
- Sugar can change the structure of protein, causing interference with protein absorption.[49]
- Sugar causes food allergies.[50]
- Sugar can contribute to diabetes.[51]
- Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.[52]
- Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.[53]
- Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.[54]
- Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.[55]
- Sugar can cause cataracts.[56]
- Sugar can cause emphysema.[57]
- Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.[58]
- Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.[59]
- Sugar lowers the enzymes' ability to function.[60]
- Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.[61]
- Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.[62]
- Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.[63]
- Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.[64]
- Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.[65]
- Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.[66]
- Sugar can cause constipation.[67]
- Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).[68]
- Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.[69]
- Sugar can cause tendons to become brittle.[70]
- Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.[71]
- Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can altern the mind's ability to think clearly.[72]
- Sugar can cause depression.[73]
- Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low-sugar diets.[74]
- Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.[75]
- Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.[76]
- Sugar can cause blood platelet adhesiveness, which causes blood clots.[77]