One Sugary Drink a Day Can Cause Premature Aging

Early on, the human preference for sugar may have come in handy, as people learned to pick and eat the ripest fruit first. Nevertheless, the jury is still out as to sugar's level of physical, emotional and psychological dependency. Before the sixteenth century, only the rich could afford sugar but, during the late twentieth century in America, people increased consumption of refined sugar by tenfold, which mirrors the increase in obesity rates.

Recent studies concluded that sugar is one of the most palatable and addictive foods that we eat.

• Fewer Headaches - Excessive amounts of sugar have an interesting effect on the body, simultaneously leaving you wired but eventually tired. It is a blood sugar crash that often leads to hunger, cravings, brain fog, low libido, depression and anxiety as well as not-in-the-mood tiredness.
• Never Enough - Slow and steady is the way to go when you decide to quit sugar. Cold turkey can be too abrupt and may cause the individual to revert back to the sugar consumption habit.
• Clearer Complexion - Experts estimate that drinking one 20-ounce sugary beverage a day will prematurely age you by 4.6 years, which is about the same as that of a regular cigarette smoker.
• Happier Life - A diet high in processed foods and added sugars may increase your chances of developing depression or anxiety. Researchers say the blood sugar spikes, dopamine deregulation and increased inflammation may all contribute to sugar's negative impact on mental health.

With knowledge of sugar's palatable addiction, food manufacturers include excessive amounts of refined sugars in foods that we may not consider sweet.

Athletes often can consume more sugar than other people because they metabolize the sweet stuff while participating in physical activities. Once someone mentally connects sugar with burst of energy it provides, he or she may inadvertently become dependent on sugar. Moreover, during emotional lows, they may begin to crave sugar to balance their level of irritability caused by their food addiction. Nonetheless, over-consumption of sugar has played a major role in the epidemic of obesity in North America.