A sugar-free diet, as the name suggests, is a diet that limits all added sugar from desserts, snack bars, and other foods containing sugar. It may also include eliminating high-carb foods like fruits and grains, which may be healthy but also high in natural sugar. What are the benefits of following a sugar-free diet?

1. Weight maintenance
A sugar-free diet is popular predominantly because it supports healthy weight. The diet encourages you to give up foods with high-carb content as well, which means you will be eating whole and unprocessed food that is healthy. This means cutting down on sugar.

2. Better skin
Skin health tends to improve when you follow a sugar-free diet. Since there is less insulin produced, the function of collagen is not affected. When you eat too much sugar, it can trigger your body to produce more insulin, which causes inflammation and breaks down elastin and collagen in your skin. Sugar, on digestion, binds to the collagen, disrupts its functionality, and increases the risks of skin problems and wrinkles.

3. Stable energy levels
A sugar-free diet can keep you energized. High-sugar foods contain a high GI or glycemic index, which leads to blood sugar spikes and a sudden rise in energy levels. The energy levels fall soon afterward when the insulin guides this sugar away from blood and into the cells. When sugar levels fall, energy levels also fall, and the body starts to crave for another sugar rush. When there is less dependency on sugar in your meals, your energy levels will stay stable throughout, minus the peaks and falls.

4. Better sleep
When you eat sugary foods, melatonin, the hormone needed for peaceful undisturbed sleep, is reduced. If you are sleep-deprived, you may end up craving for more sugar, and the cycle continues. Poor or insufficient sleep leads to impaired glucose balance, stimulating your cravings for sugar.

5. Reduced cravings
When sugar intake is under control, there will be fewer highs and lows in your blood glucose levels. The body automatically stops craving unhealthy foods when the sugar roller coaster stops.

6. Improved digestion
Your gut will perform better when on a sugar-free diet. People eating refined sugar tend to eat more saturated fats and less dietary fiber. If the amount of sugar is reduced, people start to swap these refined carbs with fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. All these foods are known to be beneficial for your gut.

7. Improves emotional health
High-sugar foods have been found to trigger depression, anxiety, and various other mental problems. Anxiety may not be brought on by sugar alone, but the constant ups and downs in blood glucose levels aggravate feelings of anxiety. Sugar tends to suppress BDNF, a hormone that produces new neurons. People who tend to feel low usually have lower levels of BDNF, and you may experience more mood swings and depression since sugar suppresses this hormone.