The Sweet Truth About Quitting Sugar

Sugar is ubiquitous in the American diet. It is added to everything from cereals to condiments, and it is hard to avoid even if you are watching what you eat. But did you know that the average American consumes half a cup or more of sugar every day? Eating too much sugar has been linked to various health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. While some people claim that eating less sugar makes them crave it more and that it can give them withdrawal symptoms, what exactly happens to your brain and body when you try to quit sugar?

The First 24 Hours: Losing Water Weight

Our body regulates our blood sugar levels through the pancreas, which releases two hormones, insulin, and glucagon. When blood sugar gets too high, the pancreas releases insulin, and when it gets too low, it releases glucagon. In the first 24 hours of no sugar, blood sugar levels drop, and the pancreas releases glucagon, which breaks down glycogen, the storage of sugars in our body, to create the energy we need. Glycogen is bound to 3 grams of water, so the breakdown of glycogen for energy is responsible for the initial loss of water weight you see in the first 24 hours of not eating sugar.

Day Two: Feeling Fatigued and Craving Sugar

On day two, you may start to feel fatigued and crave sugar as the body continually needs to create new sources of energy. Gluconeogenesis is activated, which is the conversion of proteins to sugars in the body. Fats will be broken down into ketones to create energy, which can make you feel tired, get headaches, and even have sugar cravings. However, there are not enough human studies to understand why this occurs. Animal studies have shown that in rats, neurochemical pathways causing dopamine release are activated when the rats consume sugar. In some cases, this can be more potent than cocaine. In rats, this is why you may have seen pop science article headlines like “Sugar, more addictive than cocaine.” The reason for this is that sugar activates dopamine release, creating a positive reinforcement around wanting to trigger and can create cravings. However, to be clear, there is no evidence that in humans, sugar can be as addictive as drugs like cocaine.

Day Three: A Metallic Taste in Your Mouth and Smelly Breath

On day three, you may get a metallic taste in your mouth, and your breath starts to stink. The breakdown of fat into ketones due to the lack of sugar intake creates the release of acetone in your body, which, when breathed out, smells like nail polish remover or rotting fruit. Some studies have even shown that if you measure acetone in your breath, it can predict the level of ketones in your blood. This smelly breath can last a few days to a few weeks, but this is based on zero sugar, we're talking not even fruits in your diet.

Day Five to Ten: Changing Your Taste Buds

Unlike other parts of the video where we're mainly focusing on what happens when you cut out added or refined sugars days five to ten of not eating added sugar, and your taste buds have officially changed to be more sensitive to sugar. One study had people do a water fast for five to 14 days and found that the threshold to detect sweet flavor was much lower, increasing sensitivity to the taste of sugar. This isn't that surprising because people who consume a lot of sugar actually decrease their sensitivity to that sweet flavor and feel like they need to add more sugar to their food or beverages to feel the sweet flavor again.

Six Weeks Without Sugar: Improved Bowel Movements and Skin Health

After six weeks without sugar, you may notice that your bowel movements are becoming more regular, with less bloating or cramps. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects almost 10 to 20 percent of the population in North America. IBS is a group of symptoms that people experience throughout their whole life, such as diarrhea, constipation, cramps, and bloating. Doctors recommend a low FODMAP diet, which stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, and is pretty much a diet with less refined sugar and more natural sugars. Reducing refined sugars can relieve IBS and has been shown to improve symptoms within six weeks.

After 10 weeks of eating no sugar, you might start to notice that your skin is looking a lot healthier. That's because sugar can cause acne lesions. Within one week of high intake, clinical trials have shown that after 10 weeks of low-sugar diets, acne lesions have significantly reduced.

After one year with no additional sugar intake, you'll also see improved sleep. A study looking at 53,000 post-menopausal women showed that three years of low sugar intake was correlated with reduced insomnia. Although the effect of sugar on sleep is a little controversial, as we don't really know if it has a negative impact on daily sleep. In fact, some studies have even found that sleep is improved with high sugar intake before bed.

After one to five years of no added sugar intake, your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity is reduced. High sugar intake is associated with a laundry list of other diseases, including cancers, mostly due to its association with obesity. But people are catching on. It's estimated that almost 46 percent of added sugar in our diets comes from soda, and in America, drinking pop has decreased over the past 10 years.

Now, some of you might be wondering if you do cut out sugar like this, can you just replace it with something like aspartame or other artificial sweeteners? Or are artificial sweeteners actually secretly killing you? We have heard mixed things about these sweeteners, but research suggests that, in moderation, they are generally safe for consumption. However, it's important to note that these sweeteners don't necessarily help reduce your sugar cravings or break your addiction to sugar. It's best to focus on reducing added sugar in your diet overall.

So, there you have it. Cutting out sugar from your diet can have a significant impact on your health and well-being, from improved bowel movements and skin health to a reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. It may be challenging at first, but with time, your taste buds will adjust, and you'll find that you don't crave sugar as much as you used to. As always, it's best to consult with your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet.