7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar

American have a bigger sweet tooth than they realize. Over the last 30 years, consumption of sugar has increased by 30 percent. The average person takes in over 300 calories of added sugar every day, and this isn't necessarily through candy and ice cream. Added sugar, often in the form of high fructose corn syrup, can be found in anything from ketchup to salad dressing to yogurt.

1. Your cholesterol will drop - According to a study published in Open Heart, the risk posed by heart problems can be reduced by more than half. Within a few weeks LDL cholesterol can drop 10 percent, with a 20 to 30 percent reduction in triglycerides


2. Your body's inflammation will decrease - Inflammation is linked to problems from acne to heart disease to depression. Cutting down on sugar intake decreases overall inflammation and the risks that come with it.

3. You'll think more clearly - One UCLA study found that sugar slowed learning and memory, and may even damage brain signals. Part of this may also have to do with the fact that sugar causes energy crashes that don't do your attention span any favors.

4. You'll age more gracefully - Fructose helps form oxygen radicals, which accelerate the cellular damage that's associated with aging.

5. You'll feel more energized - You've probably heard that sugar gives you a boost of energy, and there's truth to that.  Sugar spikes glucose and can have an impact that feels similar to that of caffeine. However, cutting out sugar helps stabilize glucose levels, helping you avoid the crash and feel less dependent on that sugar rush.

6. You'll stop missing it - Sugar is literally addictive. While it triggers the pleasure hormone dopamine in your brain, eating too much makes you desensitized to it, meaning you need larger doses to get the same affect. People who go cold turkey with sugar report intense cravings and even headaches, both symptoms associated with withdrawal.


7. You'll lose weight - If you cut out the 300 extra calories a day you get from sugar, you could lose five pounds in two months. And that's assuming you're on the lower end of the sugar consumption scale.