Your body needs some percentage of sugar to generate energy for the cells and organs. So it is okay to have sugar in your meals and snacks in moderation. When you start having excess sugary foods, the body cannot utilize the extra sugar. This leads to several health disorders, including issues related to your digestive system. On that note, here are a few signs of gastrointestinal disorders due to excessive sugar.
Bloating and gas
Eating too much dessert or other sugar-based foods can make you feel good—but only for a while. However, you will soon feel bloated due to the increased gas production in your intestines. In addition, the sugar prevents the appropriate absorption of water in the intestines, causing you to feel a lot of bloating. The gas and bloating can cause a lot of discomfort.
Diarrhea or constipation
Consuming excessive sugar can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria in your digestive system. This can cause changes in your bowel movements. Also, there is barely any fiber or fluid in most sugar-based foods, such as pastries, cookies, and cakes. These factors can lead to diarrhea or constipation, affecting your gastrointestinal health.
Abdominal pain or cramping
You can experience these gastrointestinal signs due to excessive sugar, especially when the foods contain sorbitol and xylitol. These chemicals are added to certain processed foods to give them a sweet flavor. These foods include baked goods, chocolates, frozen desserts, hard candies, sugar-free chewing gum, and snack bars. Although these chemicals are present in certain fruits and vegetables, the artificially processed ingredients can give your stomach pain and cramps when you have them in excess.
Acid reflux or heartburn
Sugar in itself doesn’t cause heartburn. However, when combined with other triggering ingredients and foods, it can cause an increase in the production of stomach acid. Fried and processed foods with high amounts of sugar are usually to blame for these side effects. Even drinking too much of certain sugary beverages can lead to acid reflux and heartburn symptoms.
Overeating
Your hormones, ghrelin and leptin, are important in regulating your appetite and satiety. These hormones may become imbalanced due to consuming large amounts of sugar, particularly fructose. This type of sugar is mainly added to foods such as carbonated beverages, baked goods, canned fruits, and jellies. Overeating of these can increase cravings, overeating, or feelings of never being full.
