Although eating sweets can be pleasurable, candies and other sugar-laden treats can negatively impact your health. Sweets tend to be lacking beneficial nutrients and full of detrimental ones, including saturated fat and artificial sugars. Not all sweets have the same nutritional composition, so effects may differ from product to product.
Increased Diabetes Risk
Consuming sweets may increase your risk of diabetes, a condition in which your body has abnormally high levels of blood sugar. A number of dietary factors can promote this condition. According to research from the June 2007 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," a high intake of added sugars is a primary risk factor for diabetes. The enjoyable flavor of sweets stems in part from the added sugar they contain.
Tooth Decay
Consuming sweets can also be detrimental to your dental health. As the "Journal of the American Dental Association" explains, sugars produce a harmful acid when they come in contact with plaque on your teeth, and this encourages tooth decay. Sodas that contain citric or phosphoric acid can also promote erosion, which causes permanent damage to your teeth.
Reduced HDL Cholesterol
The two types of cholesterol carriers in your body are low-density lipoprotein, or bad, cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein, or good, cholesterol. Lifestyle choices such as exercise can affect cholesterol levels, and diet may play a significant role as well. According to a study in the April 2010 issue of "The Journal of the American Medical Association," increased consumption of sugary foods can promote lower levels of high-density lipoproteins, which is detrimental for your cardiovascular health. High-density lipoproteins are helpful because they remove excess cholesterol from your blood. Having lower levels of high-density lipoproteins makes it easier for cholesterol to accumulate in your blood vessels and inhibit blood flow or block it, a condition known as coronary artery disease.
Dieting Difficulties
If you're trying to lose weight, eating sweets can inhibit your efforts to shed pounds. Sweets tend to be calorie-dense, so small portions deliver large amounts of calories. Sweets also tend to be devoid of fiber, a nutrient that promotes satiety, so even with high calorie contents, these snacks are not filling. Additionally, sweets are high-glycemic, meaning they have a significant impact on your blood sugar levels. This can also inhibit weight loss; a study from the June 2011 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition" found that eating foods lower on the glycemic index improved weight-loss success.
Increased Crohn's Disease Risk
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, meaning that the condition promotes continuous intestinal track inflammation. The disease causes several serious effects, including abdominal pain, fever, persistent diarrhea and loss of appetite. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a diet rich in sugar and saturated fat -- two key ingredients of sweets -- is a major risk factor for Crohn's disease.
Reduced Bone Strength
Eating sweets frequently may also adversely affect your bone health. Research published in the October 1998 edition of "The Journal of Nutrition" found that consumption of a diet rich in sugar reduced bone strength, which can make you more likely to suffer bone fractures, thus limiting your activity.
References
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Consumption of Sweetened Beverages and Intakes of Fructose and Glucose Predict Type 2 Diabetes Occurrence; J. Montonen et al.; June 2007
- "Journal of the American Dental Association"; Diet and Tooth Decay; April 2002
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association"; Caloric Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults; J.A. Walsh et al.; April 2010
- "The Journal of Nutriiton"; Decreases in Dietary Glycemic Index Are Related to Weight Loss among Individuals following Therapeutic Diets for Type 2 Diabetes; G.M. Turner-McGrievy, et al.; June 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Crohn's Disease; December 2008
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; A High Sucrose Diet Decreases the Mechanical Strength of Bones in Growing Rats; L. Tjaderhane and M. Larmas; October 1998
