What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Eating Sugar?

Before we get to that, let's explore what happens to your body when you do eat sugar. Let's also take a look at the different types of sugar. Then we'll talk about what happens when we decrease – or cut out completely – added sugars.

What are the different types of sugars?

There are different types of sugars in different foods. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. Its usefulness lies in its ability to help give our cells the energy they need to function – and survive. There are simple sugars (monosaccharides), which contain one molecule, and disaccharides, which contain two. Sucrose (table sugar), maltose (found in germinating grains), and lactose (found in the milk of mammals) are disaccharides; galactose (found in sugar beets, dairy products, and avocados), fructose (found in fruit, honey, and fruit juice), and glucose (found in bread, potatoes, and fruit) are monosaccharides.

Some sugars are classified as 'natural' sugars – those found occurring naturally in foods. 'Added' sugars are added to foods and beverages during preparation, processing, or manufacturing. Big sources of added sugars are soft drinks, ready-to-eat cereals, and candy, cookies, and other sweets.

Too much of any sugar, regardless of which type, is linked to serious health risks like type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that no more than 10 percent of dietary calories should come from sugars – added or natural. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that American adults consume an average of 34 teaspoons of sugar each day, which is more than 100 pounds per year. The American Heart Association estimates that American children consume an average of more than 53 pounds per year.

What would happen if we eliminate sugar completely?

What would our bodies do if we quit drinking soda, rid our diets of highly sweetened cereals, and avoided foods like canned goods and convenience foods loaded with the stuff?

Eating less sugar is one of the smartest moves you can make for better health. Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, was among the first cadre of doctors and scientists to warn of the dangers of added sugars. Says he, "Sugar turns on the aging programs in your body. The more sugar you eat, the faster you age." Lustig and others believe that eating too much sugar is as harmful as smoking or drinking too much alcohol. He also says that about ten percent of the US population has a real addiction to sugar.

When you remove sugars from your diet, the first thing that may happen is a period of craving sugar. It's also possible to experience headaches, mood changes, or fatigue. Rather than just cutting back or moderating your intake, it's best to go cold turkey and cut added sugars completely out. Sugar is a powerful substance and, according to Lustig, "induces rewards and cravings that are similar in magnitude to those induced by addictive drugs."

By the third or fourth day without showers of sugar in your diet, your tastebuds recalibrate and foods start tasting more flavorful. Natural sugars found in foods like fruit, vegetables, and dairy goods dazzle the palate, whereas when loads of extra sugar were in the mix, those less assertively sweet foods couldn't compete. Brooke Alpert, registered dietitian and author of "The Sugar Detox: Lose the Sugar, Lose the Weight – Look and Feel Great," in an interview with CNN said that by the fourth sugarless day, "An apple tastes like candy. The onions are sweet! Almonds are sweet! Once you take sugar away from your diet cold turkey, your palate recalibrates, and you start tasting natural sugars again."

Other benefits of eliminating sugar include:

Heart health. The risk of dying from heart disease is 38 percent higher among those who get 17 percent or more of their calories from sugar than for those whose sugar intake comprises 8 percent of their diet. Added sugars raise insulin levels. This then activates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Remove the sugar, and you may see a 30 percent decrease in triglycerides and a ten percent decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Lower risk of cancer. In 2016, a study revealed that mice who ate a diet with as much sugar as the typical American diet doubled their risk of developing breast cancer compared to mice who were given a low-sugar diet. A U.S.News article explains why. Fructose "increases the body’s expression of proteins and fatty acids that promote the development and spread of cancer." It’s not just breast cancer, either. The National Cancer Institute studied some 435,674 people and learned that those who consumed the least sugar also had lower rates of cancers on the lungs, small intestines, and esophagus.

Your teeth will be healthier. Sugar does not do your teeth any favors. The less of it you eat, the less tooth decay you’ll have. Sugar creates acids that eat away at tooth enamel, causing decay. It also attracts the types of bacteria that are responsible for gum disease and gingivitis. Sugar is tricky, though. Many of us eat far more than we think. To get a handle on your sugar intake, start a food diary and calculate how much sugar you’re really consuming.

Clearer, younger-looking skin. Sugar can damage elastin, a stretchy protein that keeps our skin supple and bouncy, while also breaking down collagen, our skin’s building blocks. This results in the hastening development of fine lines and wrinkles. As for acne, the American Academy of Dermatology explains it like this: "When your blood sugar spikes, it causes inflammation throughout your body. These spikes also cause your body to make more sebum, an oily substance in your skin. Both inflammation and excess sebum can lead to acne."

You’ll enjoy a better mood. Sugar does give you a quick boost – known as a sugar high or sugar rush – but once that fleeting rush fades, severe ‘come downs’ can happen, leaving you feeling low, sad, or even depressed. In a 2015 study, 70,000 post-menopausal women were monitored. Those who ate the most added sugar and refined carbohydrates also had the highest risk of new-onset depression compared to those who consumed the least sugar.

Better brainpower. A quick way to improve cognition and increase mental productivity is – you guessed it – to stop eating added sugars. Sugar is a brain-health saboteur. Nutritional Neuroscience published a study linking sugar consumption and negative changes associated with cognitive problems to the brain’s frontal cortex.

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