Giving up sugar has several benefits for weight management, blood sugar, and skin health. It’s fine to eat sugar in moderation, even if it’s not often considered a “healthy” food.
Staying below the recommended daily amount of added sugars is unlikely to cause weight gain. Research has shown that diets high in added sugars are associated with obesity.
Too many added sugars have been shown to increase visceral (belly) fat. Belly fat wraps around your abdominal organs. Excess belly fat can increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Tip: You can limit sugar-sweetened foods and beverages to manage your weight and decrease belly fat. Choose options low in added sugar, such as sparkling water, fruits, and vegetables.
Insulin resistance happens when your pancreas releases a lot of insulin to keep up with excess glucose in your bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose enter your cells.
Insulin resistance can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. People who frequently consume sugar-sweetened beverages have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Decreasing added sugar intake, exercising, and following a healthy diet can improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin-sensitive cells require less insulin to absorb blood sugar. This can help regulate your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of diabetes.
Bacteria in your mouth can make an acid that destroys the surface of teeth when they break down sugar. This acid causes dental cavities. Too many bacteria can also lead to infected or inflamed gums, which can result in gum disease.
Reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet to less than 10% of your total daily calories to help prevent cavities.
Good oral hygiene also protects against cavities:
- Brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss daily.
- Visit a dentist at least once a year.
What you eat may affect how your brain functions, which can impact your mood. Eating foods like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can decrease depression symptoms.
Several studies have suggested that sugary beverages can increase the risk of depression and worsen depression symptoms. Other research has found no relationship between sugar intake and depression risk. More studies are needed to know how sugar can affect your mood.
Too much sugar can cause body-wide inflammation and increase sebum (oil) production. Acne can be the result of excess sebum.
Cutting back on added sugars might help slow your skin from aging. Added sugars and grilled, fried, or barbecued foods may contain more substances that react with the collagen and elastic fibers in your skin.
Too many added sugars is linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This type of liver disease is unrelated to:
- Alcohol
- Heavy metal poisoning
- A viral infection
It’s your liver’s job to break down fructose, which is a type of sugar. Too much fructose—particularly from sweetened beverages—that reaches the liver is turned into fat. You can develop NAFLD when too much fat is stored in the liver.
Decreasing your added sugar intake can lower your risk of liver disease.
Added sugars are both indirectly and directly linked to heart disease. Diets with more than 20% of total calories from added sugars can increase triglycerides, or a type of blood fat. High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease.
Decreasing your added sugar intake can help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides at healthy levels. This can also decrease your risk for heart disease.
It can be healthy to cut out added sugars completely. However, cutting out all sugar would not be.
Completely removing sugar can eliminate some healthy foods from your diet. Sugar can be added to foods and drinks, but it also exists naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk.
Common types of added sugars that you may see on an ingredients list are:
- Brown sugar
- Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- Dextrose, fructose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Sucrose
- Sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol
- Turbinado sugar
It’s not necessary to eliminate your entire sugar intake; eat added sugars in moderation. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that no single meal exceed 10 grams of added sugars.
You can take several steps to cut out added sugars from your diet, including:
- Avoid or lower the amount of table sugar you use in prepared meals, baked goods, and beverages.
- Check the Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists when you grocery shop.
- Opt for water and unsweetened beverages over sugary ones.
- Try applesauce, flavor extracts, or spices instead of added sugars in recipes.
- Use natural sugar to add sweetness, like topping cereal or oatmeal with fruit.
There’s not much research on how long it would take for your body to get used to not having sugar.
You might be fine after a few days if you do not normally consume a lot of added sugar. It may take longer for your body to adjust if you are used to having a lot of added sugars.
The effects of eliminating sugar for a month would likely depend on an individual basis.
One possible effect could be lower energy levels if you cut out all sugar. Sugar is a carbohydrate, or a macronutrient, broken down to make glucose. Glucose is your body’s primary energy source.
Giving up sugar might also affect your mood. Your brain releases endorphins and dopamine, or hormones that make you feel good in the moment. It could negatively impact your emotions if you are used to feeling this way from sugar.
Some people may try to stop eating sugar on the spot. It can be hard to cut out sugar entirely all at once, so take a gradual approach. Talk with a doctor or nutritionist for more information about how to cut out sugar.
