The average American consumes about half a cup of sugar or more each day. According to some surveys, when you eat less sugar, you may crave it even more, and some individuals even experience withdrawal-like symptoms. Let’s explore what happens in your body when you stop consuming sugar with the popular YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, which has 10.7 million subscribers.
The First 24 Hours After Cutting Out Sugar
After 24 hours without refined sugar, you will start to lose water weight. Our pancreas regulates blood sugar levels by releasing two hormones: insulin and glucagon. When blood sugar is too high, insulin is released, and when it is too low, glucagon is released to break down glycogen—the body’s stored sugar for energy. Glycogen is linked to water, so breaking it down also causes initial water loss in the body.
The Second Day After Cutting Out Sugar
On the second day, you may feel tired and crave sugar because your body needs to create a new source of energy. The process of gluconeogenesis will kick in, which means your body converts protein into sugar. At the same time, fat will also be broken down into ketones for energy. This can cause feelings of fatigue, headaches, and sugar cravings.
The Third Day After Cutting Out Sugar
On the third day, some people may notice a metallic taste in their mouth and unpleasant breath. This is due to the breakdown of fat into ketones, which leads to the release of acetone, a substance that smells similar to nail polish remover or rotting fruit.
Days 5-10 After Cutting Out Sugar
When you stop consuming sugar for 5 to 10 days, your taste buds will become more sensitive to sweetness. One study found that when participants fasted without water for 5 to 14 days, their threshold for detecting sweetness decreased, making them more sensitive to sugary flavors.
Six Weeks After Cutting Out Sugar
After six weeks without sugar, you may notice that your digestive system functions more regularly and symptoms of bloating and stomach cramps lessen. This is particularly beneficial for those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can improve with reduced intake of refined sugar.
Ten Weeks After Cutting Out Sugar
Your skin may become healthier after ten weeks of not consuming sugar. Clinical studies have shown that after 10 weeks of eating less sugar, acne lesions significantly decrease.
One Year After Cutting Out Sugar
After a year without added sugar, your sleep may improve. A study involving 53,000 postmenopausal women found that after three years of eating less sugar, insomnia significantly decreased. However, the impact of sugar on sleep is still being researched, and no clear conclusions have been drawn.
One to Five Years After Cutting Out Sugar
Cutting out sugar for one to five years can reduce the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. High sugar consumption is linked to many other diseases, including cancer, primarily due to its association with obesity.
Reducing sugar in your diet can not only improve overall health but also bring significant benefits to the brain and body. However, whether replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners like aspartame is beneficial remains a controversial issue that needs further research.
The content has been adapted from the video “What Happens When You Quit Sugar?” on the AsapSCIENCE channel. You can select Vietnamese subtitles to fully understand this information.
