Sugar is addictive, and a high-sugar diet can cause a number of health problems. These include raising your blood sugar levels fast, and then causing them to crash (which can make you feel anxious), and altering your mood and therefore increasing the chances of depression.

In addition, sugar can also cause cavities in your teeth, inflammation in your skin, and create excess insulin in your bloodstream which is bad for your arteries and can increase your chances of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

So, when you stop eating sugar a lot of things start happening to your body. A lot of really great things.

It will reduce the appearance of wrinkles: It seems that most of us are on a constant journey to find foods that will help slow down the process of aging, and according to Reader’s Digest, sugar and wrinkles are closely linked because sugar causes glycation, which deforms the collagen and elastin in our skin—two properties that we need in order for our skin to remain supple.

You will have more energy: Sugar is digested fast and enters your bloodstream giving you a “sugar high” but once the sugar has been metabolized the opposite effect happens, and you find yourself in a slump with reduced energy levels. By eliminating sugar from your diet you will no longer have that rise and crash effect, and your body will have a more constant energy level.

You won’t feel as depressed: It’s true that devouring a chocolate can release the feel-good chemical dopamine, and make you instantly happier, but sugar has actually been linked to depression. According to Reader’s Digest, nutritionist consultant Megan Gilmore says that the reason for the correlation between sugar consumption and depression could be “due to the fact that sugar can lead to chronic inflammation, which impacts brain function."

You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease: There is reportedly a correlation between increased risk of heart disease and a diet with a high sugar content.

Say goodbye to belly fat: According to Healthline, data from a 2016 study conducted on 1,000 participants indicated that the level of visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds your organs) was more common in people who consumed drinks high in sugar.

You will sleep better: People suffering from blood sugar issues reportedly have an increased risk of insomnia.

It’s important to remember that with all things that you phase out of your diet you need to remove sugar gradually—if you intend on eliminating it forever—and slowly start replacing it with something else like protein or fiber.

_{[Image via Shutterstock]}