Our bodies need one type of sugar, called glucose, to survive. “Glucose is the number one food for the brain, and it's an extremely important source of fuel throughout the body,” says Dr. Kristina Rother, an NIH pediatrician and expert on sweeteners.
Does the body need sugar to survive? According to the American Heart Association (AHA) , the body does not need any added sugar to function healthily. Naturally occurring sugars come with a variety of nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy.
You'll Have Healthier Teeth
Your teeth will love you for it! Stop eating sugar and you'll lower your risk of heart disease dramatically because too much sugar in your diet heightens your risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes — three primary risk factors for heart disease and cardiovascular decline.
Keeping added sugar intake low makes it easier to get all the nutrients we need while not overdoing it on calories. However, eliminating or avoiding foods because they contain natural or added sugars does not automatically make a diet healthier.
You may live longer
In a 2014 study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, those who ate the most added sugar were most likely to die from heart disease than their counterparts who consumed the least.
Sugar consumption per capita reached 17.2 kg in 2020 in Japan, according to Faostat. This is 6.61% less than in the previous year. Historically, sugar consumption per capita in Japan reached an all time high of 27.8 kg in 1972 and an all time low of 14.5 kg in 2010.
"We have no nutritional need for added sugars," says Sessions. "This doesn't mean you can't enjoy foods containing added sugars from time to time, but the vast majority of your nutrition should be based on wholesome foods that contain natural sugars along with other important nutrients and vitamins."
Typical early warning signs are feeling hungry, trembling or shakiness, and sweating. In more severe cases, you may also feel confused and have difficulty concentrating. In very severe cases, a person experiencing hypoglycaemia can lose consciousness.
But it's entirely possible to eat less sugar without sacrificing much — if any — of the pleasures of eating. Surprising as it may sound, many people who have cut back on sugar say they find their new eating habits more pleasurable than their old ones.
The AHA suggests a stricter added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.
Keeping your blood sugar levels on target as much as possible can help prevent or delay long-term, serious health problems. While this is important, closely managing your blood sugar levels also increases your chance for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low.
Sugar: The #1 Enemy in American Diets
A large body of research showed that sugar is even worse for your heart than saturated (bad) fat. Guidelines now suggest Americans limit added sugar to roughly 10 percent of daily calories, or about 12 teaspoons per day.
Nigma Talib, a naturopath who works with celebrities, has popularized the term “Sugar Face” to describe the effects that excess sugar has on the skin. Supposedly, she can look at someone's face and determine if they have a sweet tooth by the appearance and the location of their blemishes and wrinkles.
Cutting down sugar helps in improving insulin resistance, makes you feel active and energetic and further boosts your kidney function and metabolism. "Cutting down sugar will reduce your hunger pangs and also prevent mood swings since they are mostly caused by sugar spikes," the expert added.
Detoxing from sugar can help you lose weight quickly. “We had over 80 testers from all over the country, and they lost anywhere between 5 to 20 pounds during the 31 days, depending on their weight or sugar addiction,” Alpert said. “Many also noticed that a lot of the weight was lost from their midsection.
If you quit sugar completely, it will aid in quick weight loss and might help you lose upto 1 kg in one week, when paired with healthy eating habits and some sort of exercise.
The United States is the biggest consumer of sugar on the globe. According to sources, the country's per capita sugar consumption is 126.4 grams daily. That translates to more than ten times the lowest recommended intake of 11grams per day.
Japan's success in avoiding the obesity problem faced by most of the western world is down to three main factors: an appreciation of good food from cradle to grave, a lifestyle that encourages incidental exercise, and a large dollop of paternalism.
As their diet is traditionally high in soy and fish this may also play a significant role in reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The Japanese also have the lowest rates of obesity among men and women as well as long life expectancy.
These celebrities thought so, too. From wanting to feel fitter and more energetic to dodging diabetes, adult acne and cellulite, they reveal what prompted them to ditch sugar from their diet and embrace the latest Hollywood wellness trend.
Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes). Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
The government recommends that free sugars make up no more than 5% of our daily calories. But right now the average UK adult is eating twice as much.
To keep all of this in perspective, it's helpful to remember the American Heart Association's recommendations for sugar intake. Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.