Maybe you always find yourself reaching for a cup of peanut butter when evening comes and you're crawling. Maybe you tend to complete dinner with a cookie (or two, or three). Or maybe you're hooked on your mid-morning mocha latte, which, let's face it, has a lot more in common with dessert than a cup of coffee.
Yes, you know that sugar is not the best thing in the world for you, but if you have a sweet tooth, it is very difficult to resist.
Today we analyze how harmful (or not) it is to eat dessert every day.
Types of sugar in desserts
First, it's important to note that your body processes a bowl of berries very differently than a bowl of ice cream.
The natural sugar in fruit is linked to fiber, as well as a series of phenols, polyphenols, antioxidants and phytochemicals that have a compensatory benefit. These substances support the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, which ingest some of that sugar and slow its entry into the bloodstream.
It's a different story for added sugars. Unlike the slow and steady caloric release associated with low-glycemic foods, calories from sugar rush into the bloodstream quickly because they're not accompanied by fiber.
For example, when you eat an apple, one or two calories per minute will enter your bloodstream for the next three hours. Instead, eating a chocolate bar could divert 40 calories of sugar per minute into your bloodstream, causing a spike in glucose much higher than your body can burn for energy.
What are the effects of excess sugar?
Before you bite into that chocolate chip cookie, let's talk about how your body responds to a high-sugar diet.
Can lead to weight gain
Even if you go for a fat-free treat like a straw, sugar is one of the fastest ways to gain weight. How? Eating it increases glucose in the bloodstream.
Your body responds to this influx of glucose by secreting more of the hormone insulin, which carries calories from sugar to fat cells.
With an excess of fat cells in your body, you will probably notice that the number on the scale begins to increase. In fact, a December 2017 analysis in Obesity Facts confirmed a link between obesity and sugar- sweetened beverages .
You are more likely to have chronic health problems
Long-term consumption of large amounts of sugar can damage your organs, including the pancreas and liver, and lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
But that is not all. An April 2014 article published in Diabetes Care suggests that sugar intake is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease. Additionally, a 2014 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found a connection between sugar and death from cardiovascular disease, regardless of body weight.
You will have acne episodes
A July 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology revealed a link between a high-sugar diet and acne. According to the AAD, spikes in blood sugar increase inflammation and the production of sebum (an oily substance found on the skin), two factors that contribute to the appearance of pimples.
You may sleep bad
Your dream could be compromised if you indulge in sweet things. Eating sugar was linked to lighter, less restful sleep with more nighttime awakenings in a small study published in January 2016 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
People on a high-glycemic diet spend less time in slow-wave sleep, which is key to memory consolidation, cognitive function and growth hormone secretion, according to the American Sleep Association. And remember that some types of desserts, like chocolate, also contain caffeine, which further disrupts your sleep minutes.
Sugar can affect your mood
Turns out, eating dessert won't make you smile: A July 2017 study in Scientific Reports suggests that regular candy intake is linked to depression and other mood disorders.
Even if you don't have full-blown depression, research from December 2016 in Appetite magazine found that people who eat a lot of sweets and carbohydrates tend to be less energetic and alert than people who stick to low-sugar foods.
It's bad for your brain
The sugar spike in the bloodstream accelerates brain damage. It has been linked to loss of brain cells, poor neurological function, and decreased neuroplasticity.
In fact, an August 2013 study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people with higher glucose levels had a higher risk of dementia.
4 ways to have dessert in a healthy way
You don't have to cut out the sugar entirely, but you can be more strategic about how and when to eat your favorite dessert.
Enjoy at the end of the meal
When you eat a piece of fruit or a small dessert immediately after dinner, you are also eating other nutritious foods along with the meal. As a result, the glycemic effect is slightly reduced compared to if you just sat down and had a great dessert alone.
Divide your dessert into portions
You will be less likely to succumb to cravings and overeat.
Use fruit as a sweetener
You'll get the same flavor without added sugar and high levels of fiber.
You can mash one or two dates or dried apricots per dessert serving. Mashed bananas or frozen cherries work well too.
Savor an ounce of chocolate
Two-thirds of our tongue is covered in sweet receptors, so we are designed to seek the taste of sweetness. It is recommended that people who slowly eat a square of dark chocolate (72 percent cocoa or more) letting it melt on the tongue.
