Sugar can supply your body with energy, but having a high-sugar diet is not advisable because it can cause inflammation in essential areas of the body. This piece sheds light on sugar’s effects on your gut.
What Studies Say About Sugar And Its Impact On Your Gut
Study shows that too much sugar affects the gut microbiome. Microbes are microorganisms that exist inside the human body. Trillions of these microbes can be found inside the intestines and on the skin. The medical term for microbes found in the cecum (a part of the large intestine) is the Gut microbiome. Up to a thousand species of bacteria can be found in a person’s gut. While some certain species are the cause of diseases, many are very beneficial to our health.
A study funded by NIH and Yale University shows that high consumption of sucrose and fructose (two forms of sugar) affects the Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (a beneficial type of bacteria). These bacteria affect a person’s ability to process healthy foods like vegetables. The study also reveals that when the beneficial bacteria is absent, the resulting imbalance will cause an increase in sugar cravings. An unhealthy amount of sugar can cause inflammation and certain types of cancer.
A recent study reveals that high sugar levels affect the gut microbiome’s ability to regulate blood sugar. When this happens, the possibility of the onset of Type 1 and 2 diabetes increases.
Research also shows that too much sugar can lead to the leaky gut syndrome. When beneficial bacteria are reduced, it will lead to the increase of pathogenic bacteria (the species that cause diseases), leading to dysbiosis. This increase causes changes to the mucosal barrier if the intestine, with the beneficial bacteria reduced, alters the permeability of this barrier, allowing harmful substances to get through. It causes the leaky gut syndrome, which sends an inflammatory immune response to the substance that leaks through the wall of the intestines.
Of course, super doesn’t have only negative effects on the gut bacteria, bacteria need the energy to function, and your body can break down sugar as a great source of this energy. Still, you need to be cautious of your sugar intake. Too much sugar hurts your gut microbiome and can lead to serious health issues if not treated properly. In a nutshell, eating well leads to a healthy life.
