Many of us are of the belief that sugar is not good for the body, and so decide to abstain from it. We may totally stop taking sugar, or we may reduce our intake of it to the lowest minimum, replacing it with something like honey. This is good to an extent. However, sugar is definitely needed and is useful in our body. In this article, we are going to look at the positive effects of not eating sugar.
1. You boost your health
Your risk of dying from heart-related trouble will plummet threefold. This is because consuming sugar chronically increases insulin levels in the body which activates the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn increases blood pressure and heart rate. When your intake of sugar reduces or you totally stop, you might expect to see a 10% decrease in LDL cholesterol, and about 20% decrease in triglycerides.
2. Reduced risk of diabetes
Your risk of getting diabetes is greatly reduced when you cut your intake of sugar. Eating added sugar increases the buildup of fatty deposits around your liver. These deposits contribute to insulin resistance and make the work done by your pancreas useless or less effective. Eating 150 calories of added sugar is 11 times more likely to contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
3. You would sleep better
When the sugar levels in your body are high, you would feel very tired and feel like sleeping even when it is not night time. Also, added sugar triggers the release of the hormone cortisol which interferes with a peaceful slumber. Give up added sugar and you should be more awake and alert during the day.
4. Brain fog
If you are experiencing brain fog, sugar may be the likely cause. A diet high in added sugar hinders learning and memory. Eating it over a long period of time may actually damage communication among your brain’s cells, which is not good for your brain and general health.
5. Weight loss
When your sugar intake is minimized or stopped, you won’t be eating as many calories. Scaling back your sugar habit by 200 calories a day could help you drop up to 10 pounds in 5 to 6 months.
These are the positive effects of not eating sugar, or of reducing your sugar intake. But it has to be pointed out that the total absence of sugar in the body also has its own negative downsides, so it is advised that you don’t totally abstain from it.
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