Telltale signs that you're eating too much sugar

Joint pain, cavities, weight gain, that feeling like you're foggy and always feeling hungry - these are all signs you could be eating too much sugar. Sugar is a part of our daily lives - it's found in everything from the carbs we eat, to the drinks we consume. But it's important to watch how much sugar we are incorporating into our diet because it can cause serious side effects and impact your quality of life.
It's not just about weight gain - excess sugar intake can lead to excessive eating, and even diabetes. It's very important to understand how you're incorporating sugars into your diet, and the side effects the excess of it can have on your life. Here are some of the most common symptoms associated with eating too much sugar:
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1. Joint pain 
Refined carbs increase your blood sugar levels - causing your body's joints to inflame. This is because when you're body takes in sugar, it reacts by releasing inflammatory messengers called: cytokines. These can make existing joint pain worse, according to Oprah.com. If you have joint pain, excess sugar intake could be part of the problem.
2. Cavities 
Just like your dentist told you as a kid - sugar causes cavities. Excess sugars on the teeth creates an acid that eats away at the essential enamel that coats your teeth. If you have a lot of cavities, you're probably eating too much sugar in your diet, according to Business Insider.
3. Weight gain
We all know sugar leads to fat - and fat leads to weight gain. But a hormone in our bodies could also be affected by increased sugar intake.
Leptin is a hormone that lets your body know when it's had enough to eat - and in a study cited by Business insider an increase fructose intake could lead to a leptin resistance - which could also lead to weight gain. 
So if you find yourself gaining weight, examine what it is that you're eating - chances are it could be foods that have excess sugars.
4. Increased hunger levels 
Sugars aren't just in candies - sugars are found in carbs like bread and pasta. So if you ate a meal that was mostly sugary carbs, your body is going to have an energy crash and that's going to cause your body to start craving more food to replenish itself - according to Oprah.com.
5. Mental fog 
Sugars increase your body's need for insulin - which is a hormone your body uses to convert food into energy. So when your insulin levels are high your body's sensitivity to this hormone is reduced causing the glucose to build up in your blood. 
What this can cause is hunger, fatigue, and even that foggy feeling in your brain where you feel like you can't concentrate. This insulin resistance is also what ultimately leads to diabetes - so it's important to be aware of these symptoms and understand what leads to diabetes itself.
Too much sugar puts you at risk for:
according to Business Insider
- Diabetes. Insulin resistance caused by too much sugar in your system is what ultimately leads to diabetes. 
- Liver failure. Excess sugar creates stress for this vital organ, which can cause it to go into overdrive leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
-  High blood pressure. Usually it's salty foods - not sweets - that's associated with hypertension. But studies have suggested that eating lots of sugar can be linked to high blood pressure.
- Heart disease. A poor diet contributes to heart disease - so if you're eating poorly, which includes consuming too much sugar you could be at an increased risk for heart disease.
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What to do next:
If you experience any of the symptoms above, it's important to speak with your healthcare provider about your diet. You and your doctor can figure out what kind of diet will be good for you, and how you can eliminate excess sugars from your diet to avoid developing any of the serious conditions we listed above.
Resources Oprah and Business Insider
RemedyDaily.com does not give medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.