Your stomach pangs, and you awake with a pounding head and sluggishness. No, this is not a hangover. It is the result of satisfying that dessert fix at the latest all-night gabfest, and overdoing it.

When it comes to sugar-filled snacks, we rarely, if ever, think about the nutrition content.

Most students are too consumed with the taste of their delectable pastry to care. But what happens when normal indulgence becomes excessive? Adverse health effects come into play.

In a recent study published in the latest issue of “Circulation,” the journal of the American Heart Association, researchers said added sugar contributes to poor health.

Added sugar can be found in sodas, cake and ice cream, and is the pre-emptive factor for an increased risk of high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, obesity, heart disease, inflammation and stroke.

The USDA lists the added sugar sources on its MyPyramid Web site. Surprisingly, the list includes honey and brown sugar, two items that are generally advocated as good for health.

Both brown sugar and honey have more calorie weight than regular table sugar. Just one teaspoonful of brown sugar and honey makes for 16 and 21 calories, respectively, compared to the 15 calories for table sugar.

When attempting to satisfy that sweet tooth, added sugar does not have to be your only option.

Natural sugar and alternative sweeteners are also choices that can be easily found in the supermarket of your choice.

With summer coming to a close, it might behoove you to get the last of the peaches, watermelon and figs for your natural sugar intake. Fruits are not the only way to get natural sugars in your diet though; milk is also a viable option.

Alternative sweeteners like Splenda and Stevia are the most popular as of late. The best part about these sweeteners is that they do not supply any additional calories, but they may not be as health-enriching as its creators would like to believe.

Dr. Janet Star Hull, author of “Splenda: Is it Safe or Not?” researched the sweetener. She found that the same kind of chlorine used in pesticides is used in Splenda’s purification process.

Studies on rats have shown that chlorine can cause cancer. According to her book, Splenda can also have adverse effects on the liver and kidneys.

Stevia, on the other hand, is natural. It is derived from the stevia shrub in tropical South America and Central America. Paraguayans believe it to be medicinally beneficial and use it for high blood pressure and obesity. Stevia is also calorie-free and has been used by South American civilizations for centuries.

Studies in Japan have found negative effects when used consistently over many years, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for use in the United States. Most studies have found that it is only beneficial to consumers.

Stevia is not without fault, but for now it seems that the benefits outweigh the damages.

Honey and agave nectar are other natural ways to sweeten foods or beverages. They contain sugar but come from natural sources.

Sugar indulgence is a pleasing way to relieve stress and enjoy the day. As La Rochefoucauld said, “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”