Here's What Happens to Your Body if You Eat Ice Cream Every Day

Emily Laurence
·6 min read
19

No matter how filling and delicious their dinner is, many people get a craving for something sweet for dessert—and ice cream is one of the most popular ways to satisfy it. According to a survey conducted by OnePoll, 68 percent of respondents reported keeping ice cream in the freezer at all times.

Sure, most people will admit that ice cream isn’t exactly healthy, but exactly how eating it every day impacts the body is less clear. Is eating a bowl full of ice cream every night really all that bad of a habit? Here, registered dietitians set the record straight, explaining how eating ice cream every day impacts the body.

Related: Here's Exactly How Many Grams of Sugar You Should Be Eating Per Day

What Happens to Your Body if You Eat Ice Cream Every Day

Registered dietitian Kiran Campbell, RD, is a firm believer that all foods can be part of an overall nutritious diet. You do not have to give up ice cream in order to live a healthy life. The key, she says, is moderation. When it comes to how eating ice cream every day impacts the body, Campbell says it really depends on the serving size. There’s a difference between eating one scoop a night versus three.

Campbell says that overall diet matters too. Someone who eats a nutrient-poor diet and ends their day with ice cream will have different health effects than someone who eats nutrient-rich foods and ends their day with ice cream. With these two factors in mind, she says that eating a primarily nutrient-rich diet and a small serving of ice cream (about half a cup) each night likely won’t negatively impact the body too much. It’s when a larger serving is eaten in addition to other nutrient-poor foods that there is more likely to be negative health consequences.

“The main reason for limiting foods such as ice cream is due to the saturated fat and added sugars,” Campbell explains. When consumed in excess, she says that saturated fat and sugar negatively impact heart health by raising the amount of LDL cholesterol in the body. This increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attacks.

Related: 25 Foods That Are Good for Your Heart, From Fruits and Veggies to Heart-Healthy Nuts and Seeds

Campbell says that eating excessive amounts of foods high in saturated fat and added sugars also negatively impact the brain—both in terms of cognitive health and mental health. While eating ice cream can provide comfort in the moment, Campbell points to scientific studies showing that ultra-processed sugary foods like ice cream are linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. “Other research on diets high in sucrose, which is the main sweetener in ice cream, show that consuming large amounts of sucrose impairs your ability to adapt to changing situations and may also impair short and long-term memory,” she adds.

One reason why Campbell says that eating excessive amounts of ice cream can negatively impact the brain is because of the gut-brain connection; it turns out that ice cream isn’t great for the gut either. “Studies suggest that diets high in simple sugars, such as ice cream, can increase small intestine permeability in healthy humans. This increase in permeability basically means that toxins may be getting into the bloodstream and causing inflammation or other health issues,” she says.

Campbell adds that some ice cream brands use emulsifiers in their products which may not be gut-friendly. “For example, emulsifiers like carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80 may decrease the diversity of bacteria in your gut, or lead to low-grade inflammation or colitis in some individuals,” Campbell says. “Even certain types of carrageenan, which is generally regarded as safe by the Food and Drug Administration, may be associated with irritable bowel disease and inflammation within the GI system,” she adds.

Again, it bears repeating that what matters most is your overall diet and how much ice cream you’re eating. Campbell reiterates that these negative health effects are associated with a diet high in saturated fat and added sugars—not low.

Related: People Who Never Gain Weight Avoid This One Food, According to Nutritionists

If You Want To Cut Back on Sweets, Here’s How To Do It

If you are looking to reduce your ice cream intake, Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Bucket List Tummy and Nutrition for Running, has some advice. First, if you are enjoying a big serving every night, start by making your serving size smaller. Going from having a lot of ice cream to a little is easier (and more enjoyable) than going from a lot to none, which will make it easier to stick with long-term. Schlichter says it can be helpful to mix ice cream with something more nutrient-rich, like plain Greek yogurt or a banana as another way to cut down on the amount of ice cream you’re eating.

Schlichter points out that, often, eating dessert is done out of habit. You may be so used to eating ice cream after dinner that you may find yourself pulling the carton out of the freezer without even thinking about it. For a more mindful approach, Schlichter says to resist living on autopilot. When a craving for ice cream hits, wait 10 to 15 minutes before actually going over to the freezer. You may find that the reason why you’re wanting it is because you’re bored or stressed. Can meeting those needs in another way help? You may find that taking a hot shower or curling up with a good book eliminates your craving. If it doesn’t, go ahead and get some.

Last, Schlichter says to make sure you’re eating enough during the day. “Oftentimes, when people are craving sugar late at night or after dinner, it’s because they haven’t eaten enough during the day, or even at dinner,” she says. “Aim for three balanced meals with complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber and healthy fats, as well as balanced snacks to fill the gaps between meals.”

If you eat a primarily nutrient-rich diet, chances are that ending the day with a small serving of ice cream isn’t going to negatively impact your health. But if you find that most of the foods you eat don’t have much going for them nutritionally, rethinking your nightly bowl of ice cream can help set the stage for making other healthy choices that will majorly benefit your health. And when you do indulge in a scoop, it will be extra special!

Next up, find out which 30 foods dietitians say to avoid if you're trying to get healthier and lose weight.

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