Article By: Divya
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If you are thinking of giving up sugar, you should be aware of sugar withdrawal symptoms.
Perhaps you've heard of sugar withdrawal and are curious about what it entails. Perhaps even the mere concept of it scares you shitless and keeps you from giving up sugar?
Perhaps you've heard bizarre stories and rumours about the phases of a sugar detox and how people experience sugar crashes when they stop consuming white sugar.
Reducing sugar consumption offers obvious health advantages, such as fewer calories consumed, which can aid in weight loss, and better oral health. However, some people who attempt to consume less sugar suffer negative effects, such as headaches, lethargy, or mood swings, which are often brief.
The cause of these side effects is not well known. However, these symptoms probably have something to do with how the brain responds to sweet meals and the biology of "reward."
Common Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms
Your body uses glucose, generally known as sugar, as its main fuel source. Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat into sugar, which gives you energy. Your blood sugar may drop if you drastically reduce your sugar intake, which may lead to a variety of symptoms as your body starts to look for other foods for energy.
Nausea, headaches, and lethargy are just a few of the frequent adverse effects of sugar withdrawal that people commonly report.
Here’s a list of common sugar withdrawal symptoms:
1) Mood changes
A small number of people may experience poor mood, melancholy, or even depression as sugar withdrawal symptoms. This is probably due to a reduction in the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to the brain's reward system, brought on by a shortage of sugar.
2) Cravings
Of course, there will be cravings. You'll frequently crave carbohydrates as sugar withdrawal symptoms. You might desire more processed and salty foods, such as chips, pretzels, and other snack foods.
3) Headaches
Some people who experience sugar withdrawal symptoms will only experience headaches, while others may develop one or more migraines. Despite being crippling, they are typically transient and will go away once your body resumes regular sugar regulation.
4) Low energy
Sugar withdrawal symptoms also include lethargy and exhaustion.
You'll feel terrible when you stop eating the sweets that you've been using to refuel your body. Don't let low energy levels worry you. Your body lacks the typical "fuel" that it needs.
5) Bad breath
As part of your keto diet plan, are you avoiding sugar? In the keto diet, bad breath can result from sugar withdrawal symptoms. This is the keto breath.
The increase in acetone, a ketone substance, is the cause of bad breath. Acetone leaves the body through breathing and urine, leading to keto breath.
How Long Does Sugar Withdrawal Last
The way each person's body responds to changes in their sugar intake will vary. This means that the kind, intensity, and duration of your sugar withdrawal symptoms might change depending on how much sugar is in your diet before quitting.
Your symptoms might last a couple of days or a couple of weeks.
You'll be more prone to engaging in binge eating behaviours during this period because your yearning for sugar will be stronger than usual. In addition to raising your blood sugar levels, binges are likely to make you feel dissatisfied and furious, which is something we want to avoid.
Nevertheless, it's important to keep in mind that your withdrawal symptoms might not necessarily be caused by sugar. You might wish to speak with a doctor if you have any reason to believe they aren't, if your symptoms are severe, or if they persist for an unusually long time.
Sugar Withdrawal Timeline
When you decide to cut out sugar from your diet, you will go through the following stages:
1) Being inspired
When you decide to give up sugar, you probably feel really motivated and prepared to enjoy the benefits of a healthy diet and way of life. Keep going; you'll need this drive to get through the upcoming cravings, headaches, and weariness.
2) Cravings set in
One of the first indications of sugar withdrawal is cravings. When mid-morning hunger strikes, many people develop a rhythm with their diets and may find themselves staring over at the vending machine.
3) Withdrawals symptoms peak in
You can start to experience some of the aforementioned sugar withdrawal symptoms shortly after the cravings start. It can be more difficult than ever to stay motivated when headaches, hunger, chills, and even diarrhoea due to sugar withdrawal come in.
4) Finally you feel better
You'll probably feel better than ever once your sugar withdrawal begins to disappear. Many people who gave up added sugar reported improvements in their skin's health, lessened brain fog, and an increase in energy.
Additionally, a balanced diet and consuming more foods high in nutrients will improve your general health and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases.