Yes, quitting sugar can temporarily cause symptoms that resemble depression, such as increased sadness, irritability, and low mood, due to sugar withdrawal, which affects brain chemistry, particularly dopamine levels. While these mental effects can feel severe, they are usually temporary, often lasting a few days to a few weeks, as the brain adjusts to lower sugar intake, eventually leading to more stable moods and energy levels.
Withdrawal symptoms are usually caused when completely cutting sugar, but some people experience them even when trying low-sugar or low-carb diets.
Improved Energy Levels: No more sugar crashes! Better Skin Health: Reduced inflammation can mean fewer breakouts. Weight Loss: Cutting empty calories helps shed extra kilos. Improved Mood: Stabilized blood sugar can reduce irritability and anxiety.
Many people may be suffering from symptoms of common mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, without realizing that variable blood sugar could be the culprit. A growing body of evidence suggests a relationship between mood and blood-sugar, or glycemic, highs and lows.
Craving sugar nonstop or bingeing on sweets can be signs of sugar addiction. Red flags include using sugar to cope, hiding how much you eat, and feeling “off” without it. You can cut back by swapping in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, skipping sugary drinks, and drinking more water.
So for 7 days I set myself a challenge of eliminating it from my diet. The result: I feel so much more energised, less bloated, more alert, better sleep, better mood, less food noise, Less cravings to cap off all my meals with a pudding, I feel more positive and in control.
Here are the tell-tale signs on your face that sugar is the culprit aging your skin: The surface of your skin looks hard and shiny. Deep, crosshatch lines appear along your upper lip. Discoloration and hyperpigmentation mark your skin.
Withdrawal after sucrose overeating induces depression and anxiety-like behavior. Withdrawal increases Kir2. 1 and reduces CREB activity in the nucleus accumbens. Withdrawal decreases extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.
Causes
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
It's during this early "sugar withdrawal" stage that both mental and physical symptoms have been reported – including depression, anxiety, brain fog and cravings, alongside headaches, fatigue and dizziness.
Condiments and sauces: Ketchup, jarred pasta sauce, barbecue sauce, and salad dressings may taste savory, but they often hide added sugars. Protein bars or yogurt: These foods can be a good way to add protein to your diet, but some of them could have high amounts of added sugars.
Sugar increases belly fat and fiber reduces belly fat; thus when you're juicing fruits, you're removing the fiber, leaving pure sugar. So one quick fix, a very concrete fix, would be eliminating sugary drinks.
Typical Duration of Sugar Withdrawal
Most individuals find that the most intense symptoms occur within the first 2 to 5 days after significantly cutting sugar. This period can be characterized by high cravings for sugar, fatigue, and irritability.
Opioid use is associated with increased sugar consumption. Some evidence suggests that people who misuse opioids consume 31% of their calories from sugar² – more than double the national average of 15%. Sugary foods activate the same receptors in the brain as opioids.
If you absolutely must use a sweetener, consider a sugar substitute like stevia or try using a mixture of sugar and stevia. Load up on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, lean proteins, seafood, nuts and seeds. Skip the soda, energy drinks, sweet teas and fruit juices.
Considerable evidence links the “Big Five” personality traits (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness) with depression.
feeling tearful. feeling guilt-ridden. feeling irritable and intolerant of others. having no motivation or interest in things.
It's thought that your chance of getting severe depression may be partly affected by the genes you inherit from your parents.
Foods That Help Fight Depression
Depression is another frequent companion during detox. Mood swings and depressive episodes can occur as your brain struggles to regain its natural balance. You may find yourself feeling hopeless, sad, or uninterested in activities you once enjoyed. Additionally, irritability is a common symptom.
Reducing sugar intake can lead to mental and physical withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms varies from one person to the next and can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
How Does Sugar in Urine Look? Sugar in urine does not always have obvious signs but can sometimes give urine a cloudy appearance. High levels of sugar in the urine may also may your pee smell sweet.
Enjoy clearer, more youthful skin
High sugar levels in your body can also damage collagen in your skin through a process called glycation. Collagen is essential to maintain the elasticity of your skin. When collagen is damaged by a high-sugar diet, it can make your skin appear more aged.
Symptoms of hyperglycaemia include: