Sugary foods stimulate cravings and release dopamine in our brains, altering both mood and behavior. Reducing added sugar could significantly enhance both mental health and cognitive performance.
Eliminating all sugar isn’t healthy, but cutting back significantly has many advantages. Quitting suddenly may cause withdrawal symptoms like headaches.
Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Sugar may not directly cause type 2 diabetes, but it can increase your risk by contributing to weight gain and poor diet habits. Consuming too much sugar increases the chances of becoming overweight which ultimately increases blood glucose levels and triggers insulin resistance (1).
Sugar consumption can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. Studies have demonstrated how eating added sugar can increase cavities, necessitating root canal treatments (2). Sugar also exacerbates chronic inflammation linked to heart disease, autoimmune diseases and many other ailments (3).
Breaking free from sugar can be challenging, and it is normal to experience sugar withdrawal symptoms for days to weeks after cutting out added sugars. But these should pass with time; during this period of transition try staying hydrated and eating nutritious whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats and lean protein to support recovery.
Your energy levels may increase after ditching sugar as your body no longer experiences sudden spikes and drops in blood glucose levels. While sugar may give us short bursts of energy, its effect can leave us exhausted even with enough sleep (possibly leading to depression). Switching out processed carbs for complex carbohydrates like fruit can provide more consistent energy sources (1).
Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Though eating high-sugar foods may make you feel good temporarily, they can have long-term repercussions for your body. Excess sugar consumption can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease and obesity – but even without these conditions or being obese yourself, cutting out added sugars can help maintain a healthier weight and decrease diabetes and heart disease risks.
Sugar withdrawal symptoms vary, from headaches and irritability to cognitive issues like difficulty focusing or forgetfulness; typically lasting anywhere from days to weeks as your body adjusts to eating less sugar. Talking with a therapist or joining a support group may help manage these symptoms more effectively.
Diets that include fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats and dairy products may help to control cravings for sugar by providing steady energy sources that don’t spike or crash as quickly.
Though cutting down entirely is ideal, many individuals find that limiting sugary food consumption helps manage weight and decrease risks related to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other health problems. To start out right away, aim for no more than 6 teaspoons (tsp) of added sugar daily for women and 9 tsp for men.
Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers have discovered that high sugar consumption increases the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, due to inflammation caused by its consumption in both body and mind, leading to oxidative stress that damages cells, as well as suppressing immune systems that make you susceptible to infections. Eliminating sugar helps you prevent this health issue by decreasing sugar consumption while strengthening immunity systems.
Studies have demonstrated that those with higher intakes of sugar are at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease than those who consume less, as well as developing biological markers of dementia earlier than those with less sugar intake.
Although Alzheimer’s cannot be completely prevented or cured, you can greatly decrease your risk by cutting out sugary drinks and prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods as a source of nutrients for optimal wellbeing.
Professor Selena Bartlett from Queensland University of Technology neuroscientist claims that eating too much sugar harms memory formation by adversely impacting the hippocampus and short-circuiting our ability to form new neurons and rewire pathways – with profound ramifications on how your brain works, particularly as we age, making it harder to remember things, as well as lead us further from independence.
Reduces Risk of Cancer
While some have reported experiencing adverse side effects when discontinuing sugar consumption, such as headaches or changes to their brain chemistry. Cutting back on added sugars is an extremely healthy move that will help you lose weight faster, reduce heart disease risks, improve dental health and more.
Some experts speculate that sugar feeds cancer cells by providing them with quick energy bursts. Since cancer cells proliferate at an extraordinary pace compared to normal cells, they require plenty of glucose as fuel; hence the myth that eliminating sugar will prevent or even cure cancer. Unfortunately, however, no evidence supports this claim and there’s no way of starving cancerous cells without harming healthy ones as well.
Eliminating sugar may be beneficial, but don’t go too far in the other direction and try to cut back completely on carbohydrates. Achieve adequate nutritional intake by selecting whole food such as vegetables, fruits and dairy products while also cutting back on added sugar intake with whole and unprocessed ingredients can help limit added sugar consumption without decreasing overall nutritional quality. For more information about cancer and healthy diet, consult with City of Hope’s specialists.
Reduces Risk of Weight Gain
Consuming too much sugar can cause weight gain. Furthermore, excess sugar consumption may also increase one’s risk for various health conditions – including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression and cognitive decline – and may increase their chances of obesity and cognitive decline. By eliminating sugar from one’s diet altogether, one may reduce his or her risks for these diseases and conditions.
Undoing sugar consumption may produce withdrawal symptoms in some people, including headaches and fatigue. Though temporary, these should pass in a matter of days to weeks. To alleviate them quickly and successfully, try eating a balanced, healthful diet along with drinking plenty of water, getting adequate restful sleep and practicing stress reduction techniques.
Sugar is not essential to human nutrition, yet many individuals consume far too much of it. Too much sugar consumption has been linked to obesity, tooth decay, heart disease and cancer – as well as impacting mental health through mood swings and impulsive behaviors.
To curb their sugar intake, individuals can try cutting back on sweets and replacing them with healthier options such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. It’s also essential that nutrition labels be read closely so as to avoid processed sugar.
Reduces Risk of Depression
Sugar may provide temporary happiness, but it can quickly undermine it. Sugar triggers your brain’s reward system to release serotonin and dopamine which gives a temporary rush of energy; but once those chemicals wear off you could experience fatigue and drop in energy levels – good news though is that eliminating sugar from your diet may improve it!
Deliberately eliminating all sugar can be challenging, but you can ease into it gradually by cutting back each week on how much you consume. Eating more satiating foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy oils will provide adequate nourishment while still helping limit sugar intake.
One other upside of giving up sugar is an increase in energy levels. This is likely caused by less dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar. By switching your diet up with complex carbs and natural sugars like vegetables and fruit, your body has access to more steady supplies of glucose that help increase overall wellbeing.
Many people may experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut sugar out of their diet, such as headaches. It’s important to keep in mind that these are normal reactions and will fade over time. You can support your mental health by finding ways to lower stress, getting enough restful sleep and practicing relaxation techniques; additionally you may consider joining local or online support groups as additional sources.
