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What Are the Benefits of a Sugar-Free Diet?

Marco Sumayao
Marco Sumayao

The most recognized benefit of a sugar-free diet is that individuals cutting sugar from their diets drastically reduce their risk of developing diabetes and its related complications. A sugar-free diet plan, however, includes other significant health benefits, including improved weight control. Going sugar-free also helps make people more conscious of their diets and could indirectly encourage healthier eating. Another benefit to eating sugar-free food involves dental health; people on sugar-free diets are less prone to tooth decay and gum disease. Some experts argue that reducing the amount of sugar in an individual's diet can also help stabilize his mood, which could effectively reduce the impact of mood-related problems.

Overconsumption of sugar is well-known to be the primary cause of diabetes, which can lead to serious health risks in individuals. Diabetics often experience abnormal frequency in urination, noticeable increases in both hunger and thirst, and eyesight problems. As the condition worsens, diabetics can suffer nausea, intense pain, and comas; in the most serious cases, patients can die from diabetic complications. Going on a sugar-free diet can help individuals reduce the risk of becoming diabetic by a significant amount. Research shows that individuals who drink sugared beverages on a daily basis have a 100-percent greater risk of developing the condition than those who drink sugar-free beverages.

Green tea is naturally sugar-free.
Green tea is naturally sugar-free.

Going on a sugar-free diet can also help reduce weight gain and improve weight loss. Foods using processed and simple sugar often provide a surplus of energy for the human body. The body reacts by storing the excess fuel as fat for later use. The rate at which fat burns is much slower than the rate at which it accumulates with high-sugar diets, however, potentially resulting in obesity. In this regard, following a sugar-free diet plan gives individuals greater control over their weight by limiting the amount of fat stored in their bodies.

A sugar-free diet may help improve weight loss.
A sugar-free diet may help improve weight loss.

A sugar-free diet plan can also have several psychological benefits, chief of which is the greater attention to healthy eating. People on sugar-free diets often take the initiative to know more about they food they eat, its contents, and its nutritional value. This, in turn, provides an indirect stimulus to eat more healthful foods, as well as practice a healthier lifestyle. In addition to the increased awareness of health and nutrition, cutting sugar from the diet can lessen the mood swings caused by sugar rushes and the crashes that follow. The consistency in disposition can help individuals maintain a healthier emotional outlook in the long run.

Discussion Comments

SarahGen
@literally45-- Yes, all foods do turn into sugar, but that's a different type of sugar.

The type of sugar that's not allowed in the sugar-free-diet is table sugar. It also includes sugar substitutes like corn syrup.

I believe fruits are allowed because fruits have fruit sugar -- fructose, which is better than table sugar or sucrose.

literally45

I'm confused about what a sugar-free diet means. Don't all foods eventually turn into sugar in our body? Does this also mean no fruits?

discographer

The greatest benefit of a sugar-free diet is that it reduces the storage of fat in the body. Excess fat, especially around the waistline, increases risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Sugar has a high glycemic index. It raises blood sugar quickly and then lowers it quickly. These abrupt changes in blood sugar cause our body cells to store more fat. When our sugar falls, we usually reach for foods high in carbohydrates because our brain fears that it will lose its energy source. This means more blood sugar changes and more fat storage.

Fat also reduces insulin tolerance which can eventually result in type two diabetes.

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    • Green tea is naturally sugar-free.
      By: Liv Friis-larsen
      Green tea is naturally sugar-free.
    • A sugar-free diet may help improve weight loss.
      By: jedi-master
      A sugar-free diet may help improve weight loss.
    • People who adhere to a sugar-free diet may reduce their chances of developing tooth decay and periodontal disease.
      By: CandyBox Images
      People who adhere to a sugar-free diet may reduce their chances of developing tooth decay and periodontal disease.
    • A high-sugar diet increases an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
      By: librakv
      A high-sugar diet increases an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
    • A sugar-free diet should emphasize plenty of green veggies and lean sources of protein.
      By: marrakeshh
      A sugar-free diet should emphasize plenty of green veggies and lean sources of protein.
    • A sugar-free diet can indirectly encourage someone to eat healthier.
      By: Igor Mojzes
      A sugar-free diet can indirectly encourage someone to eat healthier.
    • Jogging and other aerobic workouts are key to losing weight and keeping it off for good.
      By: Antonioguillem
      Jogging and other aerobic workouts are key to losing weight and keeping it off for good.