Here's what happens to your body when you cut out sugar

If you've been living in Singapore for the past year, chances are, you've already seen the Health Promotion Board's efforts to educate the public to cut down sugar.

But why is it so important?

For one, a consistently high sugar intake can lead to diabetes, heart problems, obesity and other health problems.

Cutting your sugar intake doesn't only decrease your risk of those health problems, but can also be good for your overall well-being and even skin.

Scroll through the gallery to find out how.

1. YOU CRAVE IT LESS

Just like alcohol, sugar has a way of making you crave it more over time. Craving for a dessert or sweet drink? That’s probably because you’re used to having one after a heavy meal.

Instead of caving in to temptation, drink plenty of water to get rid of the craving.

2. YOU'LL FEEL MORE ENERGISED

We all know eating too much sugar can lead to a “sugar rush”, whereby you feel energised and ready to take on the world.

However, that burst of energy is often brief and leads to a crash in your energy cycle, making you feel even more tired after that.

3. YOU ARE LESS PRONE TO MOOD SWINGS

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Eating large amounts of sugar can result in high blood glucose, and this has been linked to mood swings and irritability.

However, low blood glucose can also affect your mood because your brain doesn’t have enough glucose to do its job, making you appear overly emotional.

It’s best to limit your sugar intake to stabilise your glucose levels and hence, your mood.

4. YOUR SKIN FEELS MORE SUPPLE

Sugar is well-known for breaking down the collagen in our face. In fact, actor Lawrence Wong says his face started sagging after he drank too many cups of bubble tea.

This is because the lack of collagen causes your skin to become sallow and lose its suppleness.

5. YOU LOSE WEIGHT FASTER

Sugar converts itself to fat when it’s not being used up. So, eating less sugar ultimately helps you lose weight a lot faster too.

Moreover, your body will also produce less insulin, the hormone responsible for storing fats.

Insulin tends to be produced more when you’ve eaten a lot of sugar, hence a high level of insulin in your body will make it harder for your to lose weight.

6. YOU'LL HAVE FEWER BREAKOUTS

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If your pimples and acne are caused by a high sugar intake, you’ll notice a significant difference after cutting back on sugar.

As mentioned, sugary foods increases blood sugar and insulin levels. This leads to more androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, which leads to breakouts.

7. YOUR TASTE CHANGES

If you’ve been off sugar for a while, you’ll notice that foods that used to taste “normal” will start to taste too sweet. In turn, your craving for sugary foods will decrease.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.