7 Benefits of Cutting Out Sugar

The benefits of cutting out sugar may include improved oral or heart health and weight loss. A no-sugar diet can also regulate blood glucose (sugar) and reduce acne. It's important to know that sugar is not always bad for you. It's fine to eat sugar in moderation, even if it's not often considered a "healthy" food.

There are two main types of sugar in the human diet: natural and added sugar. You can consume sugar already found in foods like fruit and milk or added sugar, such as refined sugar, in processed or prepared foods and drinks.

1. Aids in Weight Management

Staying below the recommended daily amount of added sugar is unlikely to cause weight gain. Research has shown that diets high in added sugar are associated with obesity.

Too much added sugar has been shown to increase belly fat, or visceral fat. Belly fat wraps around your abdominal organs. Excess belly fat can increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

You can limit sugar-sweetened foods and beverages to manage your weight and reduce belly fat. Choose options low in added sugar, such as sparkling water, fruits, and vegetables.

2. Helps Regulate Your Blood Sugar

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. Several studies have found that people who frequently consume sugar-sweetened beverages have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Reducing 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 decrease your diabetes risk.

3. Improves Your Oral Health

Bacteria in your mouth can produce 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 calories each day to 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

4. May Lower Your Risk of Depression

What you eat may affect how your brain functions, which can impact your mood. Eating foods like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can reduce depressive symptoms.

Several studies have suggested that sugary beverages can increase the risk of depression and worsen depressive 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.

5. May Reduce Acne and Improve Skin Health

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 sugar might help slow your skin from aging. Added sugar and grilled, fried, or barbecued foods may contain more substances that react with the collagen and elastic fibers in your skin.

6. Reduces Your Risk of Liver Disease

Excess added sugar 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. Reducing your added sugar intake can reduce your risk of liver disease.

7. Supports Heart Health

Added sugar is both indirectly and directly linked to heart disease. Diets with more than 20% of total calories from added sugar can increase triglycerides, or a type of blood fat. High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease.

Reducing 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.

Natural vs. Added Sugar

It can be healthy to cut out added sugars completely, but 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 sugar 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

How Much Is Too Much?

It's not necessary to eliminate your entire sugar intake, but you should eat added sugar in moderation. Added sugars should make up less than 10% of your daily calories. That can look like no more than 6 teaspoons (100 calories) of added sugar for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men.

How To Cut Out Sugar

You can take several steps to cut out added sugar from your diet, including:

• Avoid or reduce 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 sugar in recipes.
• Use natural sugar to add sweetness, like topping cereal or oatmeal with fruit.

There's not a lot of research on the length of time it would take to help your body get used to not having sugar. You might be fine after a few days if you normally do not 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 sugar.

Side Effects

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 challenging to cut out sugar entirely all at once, so take a gradual approach. Talk with a healthcare provider or nutritionist for more information about how to cut out sugar.

A Quick Review

Cutting out added sugar may have benefits. It can aid in weight loss and management and decrease your risk of depression and heart disease.

The good news is that you do not have to necessarily quit sugar completely. A limited amount of added sugar each day is fine. Talk to a healthcare provider or nutritionist about ways to manage your sugar consumption.