10+ Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar

Most people think only diabetics have high blood sugar levels. Yet this isn’t so. Any person can suffer from this and may not notice the harm being done to nerves, blood vessels, and organs.

We at Bright Side are sure that in order to prevent complications, it’s important to recognize worrying symptoms in time and take appropriate measures.

Constant hunger

High blood sugar prevents glucose from entering cells. As a result, the body doesn’t receive energy and asks for food again and again: it’s a vicious circle.

Increased fatigue

At a high blood sugar level, the body is unable to store and absorb glucose properly. Energy is used inefficiently, and body cells don’t receive the fuel they need. All this leads to the fact that a person often feels tired for no reason.

Frequent urination

If the blood sugar is too high, the kidneys cannot reabsorb fluid. Therefore, the body, trying to equalize the glucose concentration in the blood and in the cells, dissolves blood with intracellular fluid, thus bringing the concentration of glucose to normal. This results in frequent urination.

Dry mouth, excessive thirst

A dry mouth and strong thirst are responses to severe fluid loss. The hypothalamus, which assesses the level of dehydration and causes thirst, sends a corresponding signal to the brain. Of course, you cannot refuse to drink, but it’s better if you choose water or tea without sugar.

Weight loss

With a high glucose level, you can lose weight within a short period of time, even if meals are frequent and contain a lot of calories. There are several reasons for this:

• Fluid loss due to frequent urination leads to a low fluid level in the whole body, and it results in weight loss.
• If the insulin level is insufficient for glucose metabolism, the body will switch to fat burning.
• A large amount of urine at a high level of glucose makes the body spend more calories. In this way, the body tries to "dump" the excess glucose.

Infectious diseases

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and yeast infections can occur in both men and women. Yet much more often they’re found in women with high sugar levels and diabetes. A large amount of sugar creates a favorable environment for the reproduction of yeasts and bacteria.

Dry skin

Dry skin may be connected with high blood sugar levels for various reasons:

• Excessive urination dehydrates the body to such an extent that skin begins to dry.
• Leg skin problems are a sign of atherosclerosis — hardening and narrowing of the arteries and a concomitant reduction in blood circulation — a disease that often occurs in diabetics.
• Damaged nerves can disrupt the normal operation of the sweat glands, and they affect the skin-water balance.

Concentrating difficulties

High sugar levels prevent glucose from entering the brain cells, so the brain experiences difficulties obtaining energy. This adversely affects the speed of thinking and decision-making.

Blurred vision

Blurred vision is also the result of a dehydrating effect due to high blood sugar — it also affects the cells of the eye. As a result, they deform and the eye loses its ability to focus properly.

Slow healing of wounds and cuts

This happens due to vascular damage as a result of high sugar levels. This leads to a worsening of blood circulation, especially in limbs, and insufficient nutrition of tissues.

Irritability

According to research, people with high sugar are more anxious, irritable, and tend to depression.

The brain depends on an equal supply of glucose, and sharp jumps of its level negatively affect its work. As a result, our mood suddenly gets worse.

Sugar also affects the absorption of another nutrient responsible for mood: chromium. This mineral is needed to maintain a stable level of blood sugar because insulin, which cleans glucose from the blood, cannot work properly without it.