The average American consumes half a cup or more of sugar every day, and surveys claim that eating less sugar actually makes you crave it more. Some people even say it gives them withdrawal symptoms. So what exactly happens to your brain and body when you decide to quit?
11 Benefits of Cutting Out Sugar
You Start Losing Water Weight
After 24 hours of no refined sugar, you start to lose water weight. The body regulates blood sugar through the pancreas, which produces two key hormones: insulin and glucagon.
When blood sugar gets too high, insulin is released, and when it drops too low, glucagon kicks in. In those first 24 hours, blood sugar levels fall and glucagon gets to work breaking down glycogen — the body’s sugar storage — to create the energy you need.
Since glycogen is bound to about 3 grams of water, so the breakdown of glycogen for energy is responsible for that initial loss of water weight you see in the first 24 hours.
If you’re focused on sustainable results, these healthy long-term weight loss habits matter far more than quick scale changes.
Fatigue and Cravings Set In
On day two is when you 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 also be broken down into ketones to create energy. This can make you feel tired, give you headaches, and even trigger sugar cravings. If you always feel tired, this post might let you know why.
There’s not enough human studies to understand exactly why this occurs.
But animal research gives us some clues. In rats, consuming sugar activates neurochemical pathways that trigger dopamine release, sometimes even more powerfully than cocaine. That’s where those “sugar is more addictive than cocaine” headlines come from. To be clear though, there’s no evidence this holds true in humans the way it does in rats.
Metallic Taste and Bad Breath
On day three is when you get a metallic taste in your mouth and your breath starts to stink. When fat breaks down into ketones from the lack of sugar, the body releases acetone, which when breathed out smells like nail polish remover or rotting fruit.
Some studies have even shown that measuring acetone in your breath 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, not even fruits in your diet.
Your Taste Buds Reset
From day five to ten of not eating added sugar, your taste buds have officially changed to be more sensitive to sugar.
Onestudy had people who water-fasted for 5 to 14 days found that their threshold for detecting sweetness dropped significantly, meaning they became much more sensitive to 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 in order to taste the sweetness at all.
Improved Brainpower
Around this time, you may also notice your brainpower starting to improve. Studies have shown that sugar hinders activities like learning and memorizing, so as your intake drops, you may find it easier to focus and retain information.
Less sugar really does mean more knowledge.
Better Digestion
After six weeks of no sugar, you may also notice your bowel movements are becoming more regular with less bloating or cramps.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) affects somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of people in North America, causing lifelong symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and bloating.
Doctors recommend a low FODMAP diet, which stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, pretty much diets with less refined sugar and more natural sugars. Reducing refined sugars can relieve IBS and has been shown to improve symptoms within six weeks.
Clearer Skin
After 10 weeks of eating no sugar, you might start to notice that your skin is looking a lot healthier. That’s because sugar is inflammatory, and inflammation is a known cause of acne.
Clinical trials have shown that after 10 weeks of a low sugar diet, acne lesions are significantly reduced, and your skin may start looking noticeably younger as a result.
Better Sleep
After one year with no additional sugar intake, you’ll also see improved sleep. High sugar intake interferes with your normal energy levels and throws off your whole day-night cycle. 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, some studies have even found that sleep is improved with high sugar intake before bed. Most people find that once their body adapts, they’re more active throughout the day and genuinely ready to sleep at bedtime.
Better Mood
You’ll also notice a significant improvement in your mood over time. Irritability is totally normal when you first quit sugar.
Studies have found that people who eat very little or no sugar are rarely diagnosed with depression. That initial rough patch is absolutely worth pushing through.
Lower Risk of Chronic Disease
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.
oo much glucose over time leads to insulin resistance, where sugar essentially gets stuck in the bloodstream instead of being used properly, which over time can lead to pre-diabetes and then diabetes.
High sugar intake is also associated with a laundry list of other diseases, including cancers, mostly due to its association with obesity.
Pancreatic cancer in particular has often been linked to high sugar intake, and while studies haven’t been entirely consistent, it’s better not to take the risk.
Improved Eyesight
And over the long term, your eyesight may be sharper too. Fluctuations in insulin and glucose levels lead to vessel damage and decreased blood supply to the eyes, which can cause decreased sharpness, myopia, and cataracts over time, something most people never connect back to their diet.
The Bottom Line
Quitting sugar isn’t magic, and it’s not necessary to eliminate all natural sugars like fruit for most people.
It’s estimated that almost 46 percent of added sugar in our diets comes from soda. The good thing is that in America, drinking pop has decreased over the past 10 years.
Reducing added and refined sugars can:
- Stabilize energy
- Improve digestion
- Support clearer skin
- Potentially reduce long-term disease risk
The science is clear: quitting sugar is one of the most impactful things you can do for your long-term health.
If you’re cutting back and feeling off for a few days, that’s normal. Your body is adjusting. The early discomfort usually passes, and your taste buds (and metabolism) adapt.
Start small. Be consistent. And give your body time to recalibrate.
