Sugar is everywhere, one of the most common ingredients in every meal. Studies show that it can be addictive as cocaine, yet most people do not even notice it in their food. And sometimes as people enjoy candy or anything sweet, they desire more. But the question is, what does sugar do to your body that people don’t know about?

The majority of the food you eat each day has sugar in it. Whether it is natural or added, you can almost never escape it. According to New Hampshire’s Department of Health, “the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year…equal to 3 pounds of sugar consumed in one week!” Americans consume far more sugar than they should be eating. The Department of Health added that “Americans should get only 10% of their calories from sugar. This equals 13.3 teaspoons of sugar per day.”

People in the United States fail to recognize how common sugar is in their daily diet. We eat it mostly for pleasure, unaware of its side effects.

According to Harvard Health the effects of too much sugar lead to “high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease” (an increase of fat in the liver).  All these symptoms increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

Sugar does not only affect your organs, it also affects your teeth. 

Lots of people eat and drink items that have excessive sugar, which passes through your teeth before entering your body.

According to Lincoln Park Smiles, sugar brings about an “increase in dental plaque, turning your mouth into an acidic environment which dissolves minerals, further damaging your tooth enamel. This forms small holes which the harmful bacteria can grow in until a cavity forms.”

However, there are some ways to escape sugar. 

The easiest way to lessen sugar in your diet is by mixing in some veggies. Even though they contain a few grams of natural sugar, they’re far better for you than the normal foods you might eat, including mushrooms, spinach, celery, broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, and asparagus.

Sugar may be the biggest contributor to bad health. From rotting teeth to an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, The Howl strongly recommends that you dial your daily sugar dose back by a lot.