2. Lack of energy and fatigue
Orexins, a type of neuropeptide, play a role in the sleep-wake cycle. Sensitive to sugars, they react to glucose levels in the body. A slight increase in blood sugar can inhibit the transmission of neuronal signals by orexins, leading to drowsiness. Thus, after the fleeting energy provided by sugar, a state of fatigue quickly follows, resulting from the inhibition of neurotransmitters.
3. Weight gain
Excessive sugar consumption leads to weight gain. Of course, other factors such as activity level and metabolic rate play a role, but the body first burns sugar for energy. What it cannot use immediately, it stores as fat.
Furthermore, eating too much sugar makes you overeat by suppressing the hormone leptin, which signals to the body when to stop eating. If you feel tired and lethargic after consuming sugar, you are also less inclined to exercise.
A rise in blood sugar stimulates insulin production to bring it back to normal levels. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels: when it fluctuates or becomes too low, your body thinks it needs more fuel. So you eat even when you don't really need to.
