Sugar makes all the things style higher. However indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar embrace feeling sluggish, bloated, or craving extra sweets.
It’s straightforward to overdo it. As a dietitian, I’ve labored with many purchasers who didn’t notice how a lot sugar was sneaking into their eating regimen—till their power ranges, temper, and digestion began struggling.
If you happen to’ve ever hit a day droop that solely a pastry appears to repair or felt always hungry regardless of consuming loads of meals, sugar is perhaps the offender. Probably the greatest methods to know for certain is to trace your sugar consumption.
Let’s break down the indicators you is perhaps consuming an excessive amount of sugar and what to do about it.
How Dangerous Is Sugar, Actually?
Sugar isn’t inherently unhealthy—our our bodies want some to operate. It’s the added sugars, particularly from sweets and processed meals, that may trigger issues.
“Your physique absorbs these easy sugars rapidly, which might elevate the chance of weight achieve, diabetes, and different well being points,” says Daisy Mercer, a MyFitnessPal dietitian (1).
Even if you happen to really feel high-quality now, indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar can quietly present up in your power, digestion, and even your pores and skin over time.
I’m not saying it is advisable reduce sugar out fully. However staying conscious of how a lot—and the place—the sugar in your eating regimen comes from can assist you meet your well being targets.
Added Sugar vs. Sugar in Complete Meals
Not all sugars are the identical. The sugar naturally present in fruits, greens, and dairy comes packaged with fiber that helps gradual digestion and supply power.
Then again, added sugars—like these in flavored yogurts, baked items, and packaged snacks—lack these diet advantages and may spike blood sugar ranges rapidly.
Crucial sugar to be conscious of is the added sugars present in ultra-processed meals (2). Extremely processed meals are designed to be extraordinarily tasty and straightforward to eat (2).
For instance, most individuals aren’t more likely to overeat apples, although they include loads of pure sugar. However cookies? It’s all too straightforward to succeed in for one or two and find yourself consuming a whole sleeve. That’s as a result of apples include filling fiber and most cookies don’t.
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9 Indicators You May Be Consuming Too A lot Sugar
Look ahead to these indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar. If you happen to spot any, it is perhaps time to take a more in-depth take a look at your sugar consumption.
1. Diabetes or pre-diabetes
In case your physician’s flagged your blood sugar—or if diabetes runs in your loved ones—it’s good to take a more in-depth take a look at your sugar consumption.
What’s taking place:
Consuming an excessive amount of added sugar over time can result in insulin resistance. That’s the place your cells cease responding correctly to insulin, the hormone that helps management blood sugar (1).
When that occurs, your blood sugar stays greater than it ought to, growing the chance for Kind 2 diabetes. In accordance with the CDC, over 98 million American adults have prediabetes—and most don’t even realize it (3).
What to observe for:
- Fixed thirst
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained fatigue
What to do:
To begin with, observe your healthcare supplier’s recommendation. It in all probability contains chopping again on added sugars and filling your plate with high-fiber carbs and lean proteins that may assist stabilize blood sugar.
Bonus: utilizing a instrument just like the MyFitnessPal Meal Planner can assist you begin consuming a much less processed eating regimen.
2. Coronary heart Illness
Whereas sugar may not be the very first thing that involves thoughts once you consider coronary heart well being, consuming elevated added sugar can improve threat of diabetes, which will increase threat of coronary heart illness. (1).
What’s taking place:
An excessive amount of sugar can injury blood vessels and lift your threat of coronary heart illness by contributing to excessive blood sugar and irritation.
A examine within the journal Circulation discovered that individuals who consumed extra of their every day energy from added sugar have been extra more likely to die from coronary heart illness than those that saved their consumption beneath 10% (4).
What to observe for:
- Food plan excessive in sweetened drinks, pastries, or processed snacks
- Historical past of excessive ldl cholesterol or hypertension
What to do:
Swap sugary snacks for nutrient-dense meals like greens, complete grains, and lean proteins.
3. Starvation Quickly After Consuming
If you happen to simply ate however already really feel such as you want a snack, your meal would possibly’ve been too heavy on sugar and light-weight on the stuff that truly retains you full—like fiber, protein, and wholesome fats (5).
A sugary breakfast like cereal or a pastry will digest quick, leaving you hungry once more an hour later.
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What’s taking place:
Analysis has discovered that meals excessive in refined carbs and sugars elevated starvation and led to overeating all through the day (6).
Sugar digests rapidly and doesn’t set off long-lasting satiety indicators like protein or fiber do. This units off a cycle of consuming and re-eating.
What to observe for:
- Starvation shortly after meals
- Meals low in protein or fiber
- Fixed grazing all through the day
What to do:
Construct balanced meals and snacks with protein, fiber, and fats. Assume: Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts or eggs with complete grain toast.
In regards to the Specialists
Caroline Thomason, RD, is a dietitian and diabetes educator combining her love of diet with the ability of creating higher well being straightforward to grasp. With 12 years within the trade, her work has appeared in additional than 40 publications. She’s additionally a speaker, broadcast spokesperson, and recipe developer.
Daisy Mercer, RD, is a Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal. She graduated along with her bachelors of Meals Science and Dietetics from Colorado State College and accomplished her dietetic internship with the VA San Diego Healthcare system.
Melissa Jaeger RD, LD is the Head of Vitamin for MyFitnessPal. Melissa obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Vitamin (DPD) from the School of Saint Benedict and accomplished her dietetic internship by way of Iowa State College. In Could 2024 she was acknowledged because the Registered Younger Dietitian of the 12 months awarded by the Minnesota Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics.
4. Pores and skin Issues
Sugar may not be the very first thing you blame when your pores and skin flares up, however it may be a sneaky offender.
Excessive sugar consumption can result in hormonal shifts and irritation, each of that are unhealthy information in your pores and skin.
One examine discovered that individuals who consumed high-sugar diets had considerably extra breakouts than those that saved their blood sugar regular (8).
What’s taking place:
Sugar spikes insulin, which might improve oil manufacturing and set off irritation—two key elements in breakouts and uninteresting pores and skin (7).
What to observe for:
- Frequent breakouts
- Uninteresting or infected pores and skin
- Pores and skin points after high-sugar meals or weekends
What to do:
Reduce on added sugars, particularly from ultra-processed meals and sweetened drinks. Swap in additional antioxidant-rich produce like berries, leafy greens, or candy potatoes.
5. Digestive Points
Sugar can throw your intestine out of whack. A high-sugar eating regimen might feed dangerous intestine micro organism and trigger an imbalance, resulting in bloating, gasoline, or constipation (9).
On high of that, sugar alcohols—widespread in “sugar-free” merchandise—can act like laxatives and irritate your digestive tract (10).
What’s taking place:
An excessive amount of sugar disrupts intestine micro organism and may trigger digestive discomfort and even flare-ups of IBS (9, 18).
What to observe for:
- Frequent bloating or gasoline
- Sensitivity to sugar-free merchandise
- Irregular digestion
What to do:
Give attention to complete meals with fiber—like fruits, veggies, and legumes—and reduce on extra added sugars and synthetic sweeteners like sorbitol and maltitol.
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6. Temper Swings and Irritability
Ever felt hangry after a sugar crash? That rollercoaster of temper and power is perhaps your blood sugar speaking. A examine in Scientific Stories linked excessive sugar consumption with nervousness and emotional volatility (11).
What’s taking place:
Sugar causes fast spikes in serotonin and blood sugar, adopted by dramatic crashes—leaving you drained, anxious, and cranky (11).
What to observe for:
- Feeling “off” or irritable after consuming sweets
- Temper dips an hour or two after sugary meals
- Emotional consuming patterns
What to do:
Select advanced carbs and pair them with protein or fats. For instance, go for candy potatoes and grilled rooster or fruit with peanut butter to maintain your temper (and blood sugar) steady.
“Give attention to fiber-rich carbohydrates for a nutrient-dense power supply that helps you are feeling full and energized longer,” gives Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Head of Vitamin at MyFitnessPal.
7. Poor Sleep
Late-night sweets is perhaps messing together with your relaxation. Analysis reveals that diets excessive in sugar can intervene with melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle (12).
What’s taking place:
Blood sugar spikes late within the day can wake you up in the course of the evening, disrupting deep, restorative sleep (12)(13).
What to observe for:
- Hassle falling asleep or staying asleep
- Stressed nights after dessert-heavy dinners
- Feeling groggy within the morning
What to do:
Keep away from sugary snacks late within the night. As an alternative, attempt a bedtime snack with magnesium and protein like a banana with almond butter or Greek yogurt. (You need to use MyFitnessPal’s Sleep Characteristic to check meals consumption with the way you slept.)
8. Weight Acquire
Consuming an excessive amount of sugar—particularly added sugars—can result in weight achieve as a result of sugar doesn’t preserve you full the best way protein and wholesome fat do.
What’s taking place:
Sugary meals can spike your blood sugar and depart you hungry once more quickly after consuming, resulting in overeating (14). Research additionally present that high-sugar diets are linked to elevated fats storage, particularly across the stomach (14).
What to observe for:
- Problem losing a few pounds or unexplained weight achieve
- Meals or snacks excessive in refined carbs and low in fiber or protein
- Fixed starvation, even after consuming
What to do:
Shift your focus to meals that embrace extra fiber, protein, and wholesome fat to assist regulate starvation and help wholesome weight administration. Be conscious of added sugar hiding in on a regular basis meals like:
- Salad dressings
- Granola bars
- Low-fat yogurt
- Pasta sauce
- Immediate oatmeal
- Non-dairy milks
Reducing again on these and selecting extra complete, unprocessed meals can assist you are feeling fuller for longer—and handle your weight extra successfully.
9. Power Crashes
In case your power seems like a rollercoaster—up after breakfast, crashing by lunch—sugar is perhaps the explanation. Meals excessive in refined sugars trigger fast spikes adopted by steep crashes, resulting in sluggishness (15).
What’s taking place:
Sugar rapidly boosts blood sugar, however the ensuing crash can depart you feeling fatigued and foggy.
What to observe for:
- Afternoon slumps
- Want for caffeine or sugar to get by way of the day
- Fatigue shortly after consuming
What to do:
For regular power, give attention to snacks and meals that mix fiber, protein, and wholesome fat—like apple slices with almond butter or eggs with avocado toast.
How you can Lower Again on Sugar
Listed below are 5 easy methods I like to recommend as a dietitian that will help you scale back your sugar consumption with out feeling disadvantaged:
- Swap sugary drinks for glowing water, natural tea, or espresso with only a splash of milk.
- Select complete meals like nuts, cheese, or fruit as a substitute of packaged snacks with added sugars.
- Learn meals labels and search for added sugars in addition to hidden sugars beneath names like maltose, dextrose, and cane syrup.
- Don’t go chilly turkey—scale back sugar regularly to keep away from cravings.
- Use MyFitnessPal to trace sugar consumption and set real looking targets.
Often Requested Questions
How a lot sugar is an excessive amount of?
The American Coronary heart Affiliation recommends not more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for ladies and 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for males (17).
What are hidden sources of sugar?
Sugar may be present in salad dressings, bread, flavored yogurts, and even pasta sauce. Checking diet labels can assist you notice these hidden sugars.
How lengthy does it take to detox from sugar?
Your physique doesn’t must detox from sugar. Nevertheless, you can get sugar cravings if you happen to reduce sugar out too rapidly. As an alternative, give attention to including in additional stability within the type of excessive fiber and excessive protein meals first.
Are pure sugars (like in fruit) unhealthy?
No. The sugar in fruit comes with fiber and vitamins that assist your physique decelerate the absorption. Give attention to lowering added sugars, not chopping out complete meals.
The Backside Line
If you happen to’re seeing indicators you’re consuming an excessive amount of sugar like always craving sugar, feeling sluggish, or scuffling with temper swings, it could be time to chop again.
Lowering sugar doesn’t imply deprivation — small adjustments, like swapping sugary drinks for higher alternate options and prioritizing complete meals, could make a giant distinction.
You may also use MyFitnessPal to trace your sugar consumption, experiment with new habits, and take management of your well being—with out sacrificing your method of consuming.
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