In a recent video by AsapSCIENCE, hosted by Gregory Brown and Mitchell Motiff, the startling effects of quitting sugar are laid bare. The video explores the physiological and psychological changes that occur when you eliminate sugar from your diet. I found this article extremely informative and quite scary as it explores the journey your body undergoes when you cut out sugar, revealing both the challenges and benefits of making this significant dietary change. Let’s take a look at what they presented.
Initial Water Weight Loss
In the first 24 hours of quitting sugar, your body begins to lose water weight. This occurs because your body starts to break down glycogen, a stored form of sugar, for energy. Glycogen is bound to water, so as it’s used up, the water is also released. This initial weight loss is often one of the first noticeable changes when you stop consuming sugar.
Fatigue and Sugar Cravings
By the second day, you may start to feel fatigued and experience strong sugar cravings. Your body needs to find new sources of energy, triggering gluconeogenesis, the process of converting proteins into sugars. Additionally, fats are broken down into ketones to provide energy. This shift can cause tiredness, headaches, and a persistent craving for sugar as your body adjusts to the new energy sources.
Dopamine and Addiction
Sugar can have a significant impact on the brain’s dopamine pathways, which are associated with reward and pleasure. Studies in rats have shown that sugar consumption can trigger dopamine release, sometimes more potently than drugs like cocaine. While this doesn’t mean sugar is as addictive as cocaine in humans, it highlights why giving up sugar can be so challenging and why cravings can be intense.
Metallic Taste and Bad Breath
Around the third day, you might notice a metallic taste in your mouth and bad breath. This is due to the breakdown of fat into ketones, which includes the release of acetone, a compound that smells like nail polish remover. This phenomenon, known as “keto breath,” can persist for a few days to weeks, depending on your diet and how strictly you avoid sugar.
Increased Sensitivity to Sweetness
Between days five and ten, your taste buds begin to change, becoming more sensitive to sweetness. One study found that people who fasted from sugar for 5 to 14 days had a lower threshold for detecting sweet flavors. This means that even small amounts of sugar will taste much sweeter, making it easier to enjoy foods with less sugar.
Improved Digestive Health
After six weeks without added sugar, you may notice improvements in your digestive health. Conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which affects 10-20% of the North American population, can be alleviated by reducing refined sugars. A low FODMAP diet, which includes less refined sugar, has been shown to improve symptoms of IBS, leading to more regular bowel movements and reduced bloating and cramps.
Clearer Skin
By ten weeks, your skin may look healthier and clearer. High sugar intake has been linked to acne, and reducing sugar can significantly reduce acne lesions. Clinical trials have shown that a low sugar diet can lead to noticeable improvements in skin health over a ten-week period.
Better Sleep
One year into a low sugar diet, you might experience improved sleep. A study involving 53,000 post-menopausal women found that reduced sugar intake was correlated with fewer instances of insomnia. Although the relationship between sugar and sleep is complex and sometimes controversial, the overall trend suggests that cutting sugar can benefit sleep quality.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Long-term, avoiding added sugar can lower your risk of several chronic diseases. After one to five years, your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity decreases. High sugar consumption is associated with a variety of health issues, including cancers linked to obesity. Reducing sugar intake can have significant long-term health benefits.
Societal Shift Away from Sugar
The consumption of sugary drinks like soda has decreased in the United States over the past decade. Brown and Motiff say that this shift indicates a growing awareness of the health risks associated with high sugar intake and a move towards healthier dietary choices.
“Everything Tastes Sweeter”
People in the comments shared their thoughts and experiences: “Almost 3 years following close to no refined sugar and I’m so glad I was able to do it. I stopped craving chocolate after max 3 months and everything tastes sm sweeter now”
One person simply said: “I haven’t eaten refined sugar in months and feel so much better.”
Another commenter added: “I stopped eating and having sugary drinks for a month, and I reduced it slowly to make my body adapt. I didn’t have any of these symptoms. I noticed my face looks more snatched, and well defined, and my body fat seems to be reducing( adding the fact that I also stopped eating white bread and I’m working out daily.) For anyone planning to take sugar out of their diet I advice slowly starting to reduce it to allow your body to adapt naturally, or else it might be very difficult, and the chances or failing become really high”
A Highly Rewarding Process
Quitting sugar can be a challenging but highly rewarding process. While the initial stages can be tough, with fatigue, cravings, and bad breath, the long-term benefits include improved digestive health, clearer skin, better sleep, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases. Understanding these changes can help you prepare for the journey and stay motivated as you transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Balancing Enjoyment with Health Benefits
What do you think? How can we balance the enjoyment of sweet foods with the health benefits of reducing sugar intake? What strategies can help individuals overcome the initial challenges of quitting sugar, such as fatigue and cravings? How does the body’s adaptation to a low sugar diet highlight the importance of dietary habits in overall health?
For additional insights, view the full video on AsapSCIENCE’s YouTube channel here.
