Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms
Quitting sugar can trigger difficult withdrawal symptoms like headaches and intense cravings. Learn how to manage them and break the cycle for better health.
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Navigating Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms
Reducing or eliminating added sugar from your diet can lead to weight loss and many other health benefits. However, for individuals with a dependence on or addiction to sugar, lowering sugar intake can lead to many unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Sugar withdrawal can make it very difficult for people to free themselves of their compulsive sweet tooth. Understanding the causes of sugar withdrawal and how to combat its symptoms is essential for anyone looking to improve their health and mend their relationship with sugar.
Top 8 Symptoms of Sugar Withdrawal
Sugar withdrawal can cause a whole host of mental and physical symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are usually caused when completely cutting sugar, but some people experience them even when trying low-sugar or low-carb diets.
Anxiety
The relationship between sugar and anxiety is quite complex due to how sugar affects brain chemistry. Sugar consumption can have a powerful effect on the brain’s production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter strongly associated with feelings of pleasure and reward.
Taking in a large amount of sugar releases dopamine, which can lead to dependence. When a person with a sugar dependence stops consuming sugar cold turkey, symptoms of anxiety often skyrocket because dopamine levels tend to plummet.
Irritability
Being easily irritated is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms for sugar dependence and many other forms of addiction. While irritability is a normal part of the human experience, this emotion can escalate when quitting sugar.
Any change in brain chemistry can lead to feelings of irritation. However, just like with anxiety, the increase in irritability is caused by lower levels of dopamine in the brain.
Fatigue
Sugar, specifically the molecule glucose, is what fuels our bodies. Most of the food we eat is broken down into simple sugars that our cells can use as energy. Super sugary foods don’t require as much breaking down by our digestive systems, often causing a huge burst of energy.
Although the energy from sugary foods doesn’t last as long, losing that energy source can lead to unpleasant fatigue and low energy levels when quitting sugar.
Nausea
Chemical balances in the brain and blood sugar levels can have a strong effect on feelings of queasiness and nausea. Many people who stop eating sugar complain of feeling nauseous and even vomiting due to the changes in dopamine levels and blood sugar levels.
Mood Changes
Dopamine plays a major role in our mood. Even small changes can lead to mood swings or irregularities. Because dopamine and serotonin levels are often disrupted by suddenly quitting sugar, many people struggling with compulsive sugar use will experience intense, unexplainable mood swings and worsened depression.
Intense Cravings
Like with other addictive substances, people who cut their sugar intake often experience intense sugar cravings for sweet foods like ice cream, candy, and other sweetened processed foods. Animal studies have highlighted the powerful nature of these cravings.
One famous 2007 study found that when given the choice, 94% of lab rats chose saccharin-sweetened water over intravenous cocaine, suggesting the reward from intense sweetness can be incredibly potent. Many people will try switching to artificial sweeteners, but these “alternatives” can sometimes reinforce the desire for sweetness.
Concentration Issues
As dopamine levels lower, many people find it difficult to concentrate and may struggle with brain fog. Combined with dopamine disruption, not having the constant hits of sugar for energy can make staying focused on complex tasks very difficult.
Trouble Sleeping
Sleep cycles can easily be interrupted for many reasons, including changes in diet and brain chemistry. In the case of sugar addiction, many people complain of trouble falling asleep while trying to quit sugar or even when trying low-sugar diets.
What Is Sugar Withdrawal?
Sugar withdrawal is a collection of symptoms caused by cutting or significantly lowering sugar intake. While sugar withdrawal can happen to someone who only has a sugar dependence, people with a compulsive pattern of sugar use tend to struggle with cutting sugar out because of these unpleasant symptoms.
Sugar dependence refers to when the individual’s brain has become dependent on the dopamine that sugar triggers in the brain’s reward center. This can be a feature of a broader behavioral addiction, which includes a pattern of compulsive behaviors related to consuming sugar.
What Causes Sugar Withdrawal?
Sugar withdrawal is generally caused by lowered dopamine levels in the brain as a result of cutting added sugar intake. The brain may become dependent on excessive sugar entering the body and struggle to function normally without it.
In addition to changes in brain chemistry, cutting out sugar also changes energy levels. Our bodies convert sugar into energy, so lower levels of sugar being consumed can lead to fatigue and tiredness, no matter how much sleep you get.
Sugar Withdrawal Timeline
Sugar withdrawal generally lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Each person will go through the withdrawal process differently, and the intensity of symptoms will depend on whether you fully cut out sugar or slowly wean off it.
Common symptoms in the early stages of sugar withdrawal include physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and nausea. Mental symptoms include irritability, anxiety, mood swings, and generally worsened mental health.
The important thing is to stick with whatever diet change you make. Some people try and fail to cut sugar completely, thus going through rounds of withdrawal, relapse, and withdrawal. If you find it difficult to do a complete sugar detox, try slowly eliminating sugar or a low-sugar diet.
Easing Sugar Withdrawal Symptoms
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for sugar withdrawal symptoms. In most cases, you just have to weather the symptoms and stick to avoiding sugar so as not to start the cycle all over again. However, there are some steps you can take to lessen the severity of these symptoms.
These options are not a replacement for medical advice. Make sure you consult your doctor about your sugar withdrawal symptoms before trying these methods.
Balance Your Diet
Eating a balanced, healthy diet will ensure you get the nutrients your body needs to cope with withdrawal symptoms. For example, eating whole grains and vegetables will keep you feeling full and satisfied, so you aren’t tempted to binge on sweets while craving them.
Hydrate
Withdrawal symptoms like headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue can be improved by making sure you’re well-hydrated. Dehydration is a common side effect of excessive sugar consumption, so if you are simply lowering your sugar intake, you still want to make sure you drink water throughout the day.
Drink Cold, Non-Sweetened Beverages
Sugary beverages are a sneaky way to consume lots of sugar without realizing it. Drinks like soda, fruit juice, and coffee with sugary creamers are common culprits. Instead, opt for completely sugar-free beverages, avoid artificial sweeteners, and make sure the drinks are ice cold.
Many people claim that very cold, sugar-free drinks can help curb sugar and food cravings throughout the day.
Balance Your Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral that we get from our food and helps with important processes like blood sugar regulation. It’s because of this that many patients with type 2 diabetes are recommended to take magnesium supplements.
Aside from its effects on blood sugar, magnesium has also been shown to help with headaches and migraines, a common side effect of sugar withdrawal. If you plan to use magnesium supplements to help with withdrawal headaches, talk to your doctor first and make sure supplements are safe for you.
Find Treatment and Support
Struggling with sugar cravings or compulsive eating? You don’t have to face it alone. Effective and confidential help is available today. You can connect with a qualified therapist through convenient online therapy with BetterHelp or speak to someone immediately by calling the free SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
Our Find Treatment Help page has more resources and information you need to take the next step.
FAQs About Sugar Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms
How long does it take for sugar to get out of your system?
Metabolically, your body processes and clears a single dose of sugar from the bloodstream within a few hours. However, the process of your brain and body recalibrating from a state of dependence takes longer. The most intense withdrawal symptoms typically last for 3 to 7 days, with milder effects like cravings potentially lingering for a few weeks.
Does sugar withdrawal cause flu-like symptoms?
Yes, many people describe the experience as the “sugar flu.” Symptoms like fatigue, body aches, nausea, and headaches are common in the first few days of a sugar detox and can mimic the feeling of having a mild flu as your body adjusts.
How long do sugar withdrawal symptoms last?
The most intense physical symptoms of sugar withdrawal typically last for 3 to 7 days. However, milder psychological symptoms, such as cravings and mood changes, can linger for a few weeks as your brain chemistry fully recalibrates.
What are some common sugar withdrawal symptoms?
Sugar withdrawal can cause a range of both physical and psychological symptoms as your body adjusts.
The most common ones include:
- Psychological Symptoms: Intense cravings, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating or “brain fog.”
- Physical Symptoms: Throbbing headaches, profound fatigue or lethargy, dizziness, and sometimes nausea.
What helps with sugar withdrawal headaches?
Staying well-hydrated is the most important step for managing withdrawal headaches. Some research also suggests that magnesium can help regulate blood sugar and may reduce headache intensity. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements.
What is the fastest way to get rid of sugar withdrawal?
Unfortunately, there is no instant fix. The fastest way through it is to consistently avoid added sugar and support your body with proper nutrition, hydration, and rest. Trying to “fix” withdrawal with a small amount of sugar will only prolong the process.
Metabolically, your body processes and clears a single dose of sugar from the bloodstream within a few hours. However, the process of your brain and body recalibrating from a state of dependence takes longer. The most intense withdrawal symptoms typically last for 3 to 7 days, with milder effects like cravings potentially lingering for a few weeks.
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