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Wondering why you are gaining weight while having small meals? The hidden culprit might be refined sugar or artificial sugar. Almost everything we consume today contains sugar, if not excess, a limited amount for sure.

It is reported that as much as 65% of U.S. adults may exceed Dietary Guidelines with respect to daily sugar intake. What this shows is that a great quantity of sugar is consumed. Some of the effects include contributing to obesity, as well as increasing the potential for heart diseases, type-2 diabetes, cognitive impairment, depression, and even forms of cancer.

The added sugars are those that are added to foods during processing, production, or cooking, and are usually in refined forms such as white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup. They all add calories without the presence of any nutrients, thus making them harmful when consumed in excess.

So what will happen when you eliminate added sugars? Well, the benefits extend far beyond weight loss and normalizing blood glucose. Some of the most common ones include:

1. Quick Weight Loss

Eating the same foods but without the added sugar reduces your total caloric intake, which may make it easier to lose weight. Studies have indicated that excessive consumption of added sugars contributes to overweight and obesity. Switching from items with added sugars to those with little or no added sugar can help you save hundreds of calories.

2. Lowers Diabetes Risk

Cutting out added sugars makes it easier to maintain your weight and keep blood glucose levels within acceptable limits, both of which reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Added sugars give additional calories; excess calorie intake leads to weight growth, which combined with higher blood glucose levels from added sugar leads to insulin resistance.

3. Slows Skin Aging

Eliminating extra added sugar and maintaining good blood glucose levels may reduce the skin aging. A high-sugar diet may cause the formation of AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which have been linked to accelerated skin aging. Reduced sugar consumption may reduce the aging effects on the skin, especially if your diet contains enough of fruits and vegetables, which are good for skin health.

4. Sugar Cravings Decrease

Frequent consumption of sugary meals and beverages increases cravings. This is because sugar causes dopamine to be released, stimulating the brain’s reward center in the same way as addictive drugs do. When suffer moderate withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, and increased sugar cravings for a few days after quitting sugar. After a few days, your cravings for sweet, high-carb foods will drastically reduce.

5. Lowers Depression Risk

Another benefit of avoiding sugar is improved psychological wellness and reduced depression risk. This is because consuming more added sugar is related with a considerably increased risk of experiencing episodes of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Researchers believe this is due to inflammation in the brain caused by sugar’s higher glycemic index.

6. Decreases Appetite & Hunger

Leptin is an important hormone that affects hunger. It instructs the brain when to eat, when to stop eating, and when to increase or decrease metabolism. However, when you are diagnosed as obese and have insulin resistance, your body becomes more resistant to the message that you are full. Limiting sugar may assist restore leptin balance in the body.

7. More Energy & Stamina

One of the most noticeable benefits to avoiding sugar is an improvement in the energy level, which is largely due to fewer blood sugar highs and lows. While sugar may provide an initial boost and burst of energy, it is followed by a significant drop in glucose, leaving you fatigued, lethargic, and slightly hungry. Replacing those added sugar calories with complex carbs and natural fruit gives a longer and more consistent supply of energy.

8. Healthy Heart & Brain

Some observational studies have found that individuals who consume too much sugar have a higher chance of getting cardiovascular disease. A high sugar diet may elevate blood pressure, promote inflammation, and stimulate the liver to release toxic lipids into the bloodstream, all of which can contribute to the development of cardiovascular issues.

9. Fewer Cavities & Tooth Decay

When sugar and other carbs remain on your teeth without being brushed or washed away, they become food for the bacteria inside your mouth, producing an acid that removes minerals from the enamel and eventually cause a cavity.

10. Lowers Triglycerides

If you weigh more than you should, you are more likely to have high cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides, a form of fat in your blood. By reducing your intake of added sugar, you may be able to reduce your body weight and calories, thus improving your cholesterol. Individuals who consume less than 20% of their calories from added sugars had lower triglycerides.

Reducing sugar intake or avoiding it entirely, is a wise move for everyone irrespective of age and health status. Along with providing the above given benefits, limiting sugar can help keep chronic illnesses or ill-health conditions at bay. This does not mean avoiding all forms of sugar intake, since natural sugars mostly found in fruits, some dairies, and some vegetables come with other nutrients like fiber, vitamins,

and minerals, and these foods with natural sugars aren’t associated with the health risks discussed above.

If you are already dealing with a chronic condition, such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, and want to overcome the stress and symptoms that comes along, our qualified virtual care assistants, physicians, and healthcare professionals are here for you. Feel free to schedule a health consultation with our team at MD Chronic and get your chronic condition evaluated.