You may have heard plenty about the dangers of consuming too much sugar, but do you know what really happens in your body when you eat too much sugar? It can be hard to desist from that tempting muffin or glass of juice when you don’t fully understand the damage that sugar can wreak on your body. So do yourself a favor and read on to find out what sugar really does to each part of your body in visceral scientific detail.

In the Brain:

The short-term effects of eating sugar can feel rewarding: with the quick rise in your blood sugar levels, you get a spike in dopamine, the feel-good chemical. But the energy and happy mood you get from a sugary snack quickly fade. When the sugar high wears off as sugar is absorbed into the blood, you may instead experience anxiety and jitteriness. If you develop a habit of eating too much sugar, you’ll start to feel cravings that can play havoc with your mood and health.

In the Teeth:

Save yourself a trip to the dentist by laying off sugary foods, which rot the teeth by attracting bacteria that wear down the enamel—the result: plaque, cavities, and decay.

The Heart:

Too much sugar leads to extra insulin in your blood, which in turn leads to impoverished artery health in your heart and all over your body. As the walls of your arteries become inflamed, thick, and stiff, the heart takes on an abnormal level of stress and damage. This may cause the development of conditions like heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes in the long term.

In the Liver:

Sugary foods are typically chock-full of fructose or high fructose corn syrup, which can devastate the liver in large amounts. When processed, these ingredients break down into fat, which causes liver disease and liver scarring.

In the Pancreas:

While the pancreas usually produces insulin as a matter of course, too much sugar can lead to insulin overproduction. Eventually, your body may develop insulin resistance, which will cause you to develop Type II diabetes and heart disease down the road.

In the Kidneys:

The kidneys’ work is to filter your blood, and when it contains too much blood sugar, the excess sugar is released into the urine. This can damage the kidney to the point of failure and is exacerbated in people with diabetes.

In the Skin:

Eat too much sugar, and your beauty may suffer. Overly high amounts of sugar in your bloodstream will end up attaching to proteins and forming harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products. These molecules damage collagen and elastin in the skin, both key proteins that support skin elasticity and strength. As a result, your skin may appear prematurely aged, wrinkly, and saggy.

Now that you’re aware of sugar’s damaging effect on every part of your body don’t fall for it. Cut back on the sugar in your diet and see dramatic improvements in your health and appearance, short and long term.

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