The no-sugar diet has gained popularity as people continue to look for effective ways to live a healthly life or to lose weight.
For all the health benefits of a no-sugar diet, however, there are also a few things to consider.
Eating too much added sugar has many health effects, the most obvious being weight gain. Added sugar drives up your insulin levels, messes with your metabolism, and causes those calories to turn right into belly fat.
Weight loss is just one of the many possible benefits of cutting back on the sweet stuff. Below are 11 more legit reasons — besides fitting into your skinny jeans — to tame that sweet tooth for good.
Heart
1. It can lower your blood pressure
High added sugar intake can lead to weight gain, which can increase your risk of high blood pressure. Added sugar can raise your blood pressure on their own. In fact, research shows that sugar may be as big of a problem as salt when it comes to hypertension.
High blood pressure increases your heart’s workload and can damage your arteries over time. Eventually, this can lead to heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and artery disease.
Plus, people who get 17 to 21 percent of their daily calories from added sugar face a 38 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who get only 8 percent of their calories from added sugar.
2. It can lower your bad cholesterol
When you eat too much sugar, your liver pumps out extra LDL (bad) cholesterol. A sugary diet also lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol. Together, high LDL and low HDL can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.
Research has shown that women who drink lots of sugar-sweetened beverages have lower HDL cholesterol levels than those who don’t.
3. It could lower your heart attack risk
More heart disease equals a greater risk for heart attacks. Blocked arteries prevent enough oxygen-rich blood from reaching your heart. People who eat more sugar have a notable increase in heart attack risk compared with people with lower sugar intakes.
One simple swap to cut your risk: Ditch the soda. Sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Plus, there are loads of delicious carbonated waters on the market these days.
Organs
1. It might lower your risk of diabetes
Despite some online opinions to the contrary, eating sugar doesn’t cause diabetes. That said, a high sugar diet contributes to weight gain, which does increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The buildup of fat makes your body more resistant to the effects of insulin. To compensate, your pancreas pumps out more insulin. Eventually, your pancreas can’t keep up with your body’s increased demand, and your blood sugar rises.
2. It can help prevent fatty liver disease
As the name suggests, fatty liver disease is a buildup of fat in your liver. When you gain weight, so does your liver. That extra fat can damage your liver to the point where it can’t properly filter your blood.
Fatty liver disease is a common and significant risk factor for diabetes, heart attacks, and even cancer. The good news is that you may be able to combat it with a major diet adjustment.
A study of teen boys with fatty liver disease found that a low sugar diet significantly improved their condition.
3. It may help reduce your risk for cancer
Although research hasn’t proven that sugar directly causes cancer, there are some pretty compelling links between the two. Cancer cells — like other cells in your body — use sugar as fuel. And eating a high sugar diet leads to weight gain, which is a definite risk factor for cancer.
A 2013 study found that diets rich in refined sugars, as well as meat and other animal products, were linked to a greater risk of pancreatic cancer.
After following subjects for more than 2 decades, researchers in another recent study found that sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages increased the risk of type 1 endometrial cancer among postmenopausal women.
4. You may breathe easier
A high sugar diet may contribute to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The connection could stem from high blood sugar levels, which negatively affect lung function. Researchers have found strong links between COPD and type 2 diabetes.
5. You’ll have more energy
If you’re looking for a candy bar to perk you up and get you through the afternoon work slump, you might be disappointed. In fact, the very idea of a “sugar rush” could be a myth.
A European meta-analysis of 31 studies found that sugar didn’t provide any energy boost. In fact, participants felt even more tired and less alert after they’d consumed sugary foods and drinks.
For a real pick-me-up, rely on slow-burning carbs and high protein foods. Spread some peanut butter on an apple or put a slice of cheese on whole grain bread.
Brain
1. It will help keep your brain sharp
You may have been warned that sweets can eat away at your tooth enamel. What’s even scarier is that sugar can eat away at your brainpower.
Research shows that a high sugar diet negatively affects mental function. In a sense, sugar might rewire your brain. Eating too much of it can alter the structure of the hippocampus — the part of your brain where your memories take hold.
2. You may be less likely to get dementia
There’s a strong link between blood sugar and dementia, which researchers have been trying to figure out for years. People with diabetes are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Some researchers even refer to Alzheimer’s as “type 3 diabetes.”
The connection could have to do with the way your brain responds to insulin, a hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your body’s cells.
A 2018 study illustrated the connection. After following more than 5,000 people for 10 years, the authors found that participants with high blood sugar had faster rates of mental decline than those with normal blood sugar.
3. It may reduce your risk of depression
Eating sweets produces a quick sugar “high,” but that rush is short-lived. Several studies have linked diets high in sodas, juices, pastries, and other sugary foods to depression.
One study found that older adults who drank more than four servings of soda per day were 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression than people who drank unsweetened water, coffee, or tea.
Replacing high sugar foods with healthful options can help a person get all of their essential vitamins and minerals without the added calories. It may also help them lose weight, if necessary.