The average American consumes 19.5 tsp of sugar every day – which adds up to 66 lbs of added sugar per year.

I used to be one of those people.

Sugar was in the six pops a day I would drink and the copious amounts of candy I would consume, which is why I had so many emotional issues alongside my increasing weight.

And while I can understand a little sugar every now and then, consuming too much can have a pretty big impact on your gut health, as I know from first-hand experience.

If you’re in the same boat as I was, or are just curious about how those late night sugar binges are affecting your health, then you need to keep reading …

6 WAYS EATING SUGAR IS RUINING YOUR GUT HEALTH

CHANGES GUT BACTERIA
A high-sugar diet can cause an imbalance in gut bacteria in as little as four weeks, according to this study. Your gut bacteria plays an important role in your health and disease prevention, and also affects digestion, immunity, metabolism, brain health, mood, and more.

Protecting the integrity of your gut requires a focus on bacteria balance through prebiotic and probiotic foods, and many people benefit from a good quality probiotic also.

ALTERS HORMONES
Besides affecting the obvious hormone, insulin (the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar levels), sugar can also lead to changes in testosterone and estrogen – possibly leading to estrogen dominance. 

Glucose and fructose are metabolized by the liver, and too much sugar in the diet forces the liver to turn the excess sugar into lipids (or fats). This increase in fat slows down the production of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), reducing the amount of SHBG protein in the blood. With a decrease in SHBG, your body releases more testosterone and estrogen. 

This not only leads to an imbalance in hormones, but this can affect fertility, acne, PCOS, and cardiovascular diseases in women. Plus, when your hormones are imbalanced it can lead to toxicity in the body which impacts the gut.

LOWERS IMMUNITY
While updated research needs to be done, previous studies have shown that sugar can lower your immune response.

But even if those studies are outdated, we know that over 70% of your immune system is located in your gut, so it would make sense that an imbalance in gut bacteria (which can be caused by sugar, as mentioned above) could lower your immune response and increase your chances of insulin-resistance, sickness, and disease.

And when immunity is lower, that puts the health of your gut at risk also, so it’s important to eat foods that improve immunity.

PROMOTES INFLAMMATION
Too much sugar is hands-down a contributor to inflammation in the body. While more research is needed to really dive deep into the how’s and why’s of this connection, we know that gut bacteria can play a key role in inflammation and that keeping inflammation low can keep your gut bacteria in balance.

Focusing on a more anti-inflammatory diet by including more plant-based foods and less gluten, dairy, and animal proteins, may help to improve your gut health.

AFFECTS BRAIN HEALTH
Glucose is crucial for cell function and stimulates the reward pathways in your brain, this stimulation causes your dopamine receptors to become desensitized, requiring more dopamine to get the same feeling.

Yup, you guessed right – that means you need more sugar to get the same chill feeling that reminds you of unicorns and rainbows … and this could lead right to insulin resistance. 

Reducing your sugar intake can have a noticeable affect on your mood, energy, and ability to focus.

PROMOTES FATTY LIVER DISEASE
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver condition that affects people who drink little to no alcohol and happens when too much fat is stored in liver cells. This serious chronic liver disease is becoming more common and affecting an estimated 80-100 million Americans, and studies have shown that sugar is one of the key contributors in its development.

NAFLD has been shown to affect your gut bacteria, and focusing on healing your gut while balancing the gut microbiota can prove very beneficial in prevention of this disease.

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I get that it’s easy to justify eating sugar, believe me – I hear it everyday in my practice and I use to do it myself. But when you look at how it affects your gut health, it’s important to stop and think about whether it’s worth it.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT YOU’RE EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR

If you’re wondering if you might be tipping the scales of too much sugar in your diet, here are a few common symptoms I see with those who have gut health issues related to sugar intake:

• Acne
• Weight Gain
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Insulin Resistance
• Fatty Liver
• Inflammation
• Low Immune Response
• Low Energy
• Mood Changes
• PMS

If you’re struggling and looking for some help to kick your sugar addiction and heal your gut, then book in a consultation with me and we can get you started right away.

Otherwise, try these tips for reducing your sugar intake:

1. Eat naturally sweet foods like fruits to help avoid refined sugars
2. Consume a diet higher in healthy fats and proteins to reduce cravings and blood sugar spikes (or drops)
3. Stay active to reduce stress eating
4. Drink more water (hydration helps curb cravings!)
5. Enjoy some Dark Chocolate Fudge to get a healthy fix