Vegan and Sugar-Free: How & Why?

Reason 1: Sugar Makes you Fat

It is probably the number one argument for a vegan and sugar-free diet: the desire to lose weight. Losing weight on a vegan and sugar-free diet is supposed to be easy. But does added sugar magically cause fat deposits to grow that dates or avocado don’t? No, of course not 😉

Because THE reason for weight gain is excess calories, when you eat more calories than you burn. Whether the excess energy comes from nuts, chocolate, gummi bears, dates or cola, does not matter.

But high sugar intake often goes hand in hand with high calorie intake. So does a high fat intake. This is because a lot of sugar is often found in energy-dense foods that are not filling, low in fiber and high in fat. Examples include cakes, ice-cream, burgers, pizza. They are very palatable, making it easier to overeat.

Sugar-containing beverages (for example soft drinks) provide liquid calories without filling you up. In addition, people who consume a lot of sugary foods and soft drinks may have a less healthy lifestyle overall, such as low physical activity, not exercising enough and eating foods that are low in micronutrients and not satiating. People who do not count calories may unknowingly consume more energy than they need, leading to weight gain in the long run. On the other hand, those who count calories and/or do not eat more than they need despite a high-sugar diet will not gain weight. It all depends on the overall diet.

So sugar can contribute to weight gain because it often comes with increased energy intake. However, people who watch their calorie intake will not gain weight from sugar alone (Kahn and Sievenpiper, 2014; WHO, 2015).

Similarly, a vegan and sugar-free diet does not automatically lead to weight loss if sugar is replaced by products such as thick juices, dates, etc., or by increased intake of fatty foods that are (at least) equally high in energy. Thus, gaining weight (or not losing it) is possible despite a vegan and sugar-free diet.

Those who notice weight loss when switching to a vegan sugar-free diet have usually changed their entire food choices and thus consumed fewer calories. If you want to lose weight and you do it by “just” cutting out sugar, that is great. But if you are torturing yourself with a vegan and sugar-free diet because you think it is the only way to lose weight, do not worry: The important thing is to find a diet that allows you to eat fewer calories than you burn. Reducing sugar in your diet is not the only aspect that will help you lose weight.

Reason 2: Sugar is Addictive

You have probably heard about the dreaded sugar addiction. From “I always need something sweet after dinner” to reports of severe withdrawal symptoms, you hear and read a lot. Often, sugar is compared to drugs.

There is evidence that sugar can act like a drug and that addiction-like feelings can occur after consuming sugary foods. However, a “sugar addiction” is not scientifically tenable. This is because the experiments that some people are familiar with, in which similar activities in brain areas were measured after sugar consumption as after drug consumption, were usually carried out on animals and therefore not applicable to humans. Secondly, the methods used are often not suitable for measuring such changes.

Perceived impairments due to “sugar deprivation” have also not been proven. Possible headaches may be due to insufficient energy or carbohydrate intake in addition to a placebo effect.

There is probably a type of “binge eating” that is seen primarily in eating disorders. However, it is not caused by sugar. People respond to any kind of highly palatable food, especially meals that are high in both fat and sugar. As a rule, people do not crave pure sugar, but rather foods that contain many other ingredients. There is no such thing as a sugar addiction. Sugary foods are often those that we find particularly tasty and that quickly lead us to eat more than we actually want. Interestingly, some people seem to react more to those kind of foods than others (Westwater, 2016; Markus et al., 2017; Greenberg and St. Peter, 2021; Gordon et al., 2018).

In summary, sugary foods taste good to most people and tempt people to eat more of them. But there is no such thing as “sugar addiction.”

Reason 3: Sugar Acidifies the Body

This myth is quickly dispelled: Foods can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline based on their chemical structure. But your body cannot become hyperacidic (unless there is a serious metabolic disorder). This is because your body’s own buffering systems, the liver and kidneys, ensure that the pH of the blood is maintained. Sugar, by the way, is not acidic at all, but neutral (Koeppen, 2009; Remer and Manz, 1995).

Although metabolic acidosis can occur, for example in people with type 1 diabetes, it is an acute condition and not due to (chronic) sugar intake. It requires immediate medical attention. As a healthy person with an average dietary pattern, you do not need to worry about your body becoming so acidic that it is harmful to your health.

Reason 4: Fructose is Dangerous!

Most sugar-free vegans do not give up fruits, berries, or vegetables, even though (or because) they are naturally high in sugar. Raw vegans, in particular, often consume huge amounts of fruit. As a result, someone who avoids added sugars but eats a lot of fruit may end up consuming more sugar than someone who eats a moderate amount of both.

Most of the sugar in most fruits is in the form of fructose. Because fructose, unlike glucose, is absorbed in the liver and intestines independently of insulin, its effect on metabolism is different.

In addition to fructose, fruits provide many micronutrients, fiber and phytochemicals. Higher fruit consumption is considered beneficial to health, and health organizations recommend at least two servings daily. Therefore, fruit is an integral part of our Vegan Food Pyramid.

There are theoretical mechanisms by which fructose could promote the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This has been observed in animal studies. However, we are not rats and the amounts of fructose administered were usually unphysiologically high. Cohort studies have not shown that higher fructose intake is associated with the development of NAFDL. Adverse effects of high fructose in humans have occurred either at very high intakes and/or in the presence of caloric excess.

There is also no evidence that high-fructose corn syrup affects the body any differently than sucrose. The composition is also not as different as one might think: fructose syrup is 55 % fructose and 42 % glucose, while sucrose (table sugar) is 50 % fructose and 50 % glucose (Kuzma et al., 2016; Forshee et al., 2007; Stanhope et al., 2008).

There is no proof that very high intakes of fructose, also compared to glucose, for example via added sugars (syrups), have a negative impact on health. What might be “too much” and how this might play out in various pre-existing conditions, such as those affecting the liver, is currently unclear (Choo et al., 2018; Smajis et al., 2020).

Reason 5: Sugar Spikes Blood Sugar Levels

A spike in blood sugar levels is often considered harmful. But how your blood sugar levels react depends on the overall composition of the food, the meal, and to some extent the previous meal. Because we usually do not consume sugar alone (unless we drink large amounts of sugary beverages), the rise in blood sugar after eating high-sugar foods is often less than expected. Fiber and fats slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, thus dampening the effect on blood sugar levels.

For the general population, it is advisable to avoid large fluctuations in blood glucose levels during the day. This is because they can lead to rapid hunger, are associated with low fiber intake, and contribute to the dreaded “energy crash” after a meal. But the diet does not have to be sugar-free. In fact, even high-sugar meals do not necessarily cause big swings, and your body is very good at compensating.

Athletes can benefit from a quick sugar intake, and thus a steep rise in blood sugar levels, when they need to replenish their energy stores before, during, or between sessions to perform their best.

Reason 6: Sugar Makes You Sick and Tired

People who consume a lot of sugar in their diets are also more likely to have negative health parameters. But again, sugar per se is not to blame.

The reasons: Sugar itself does not provide essential nutrients, and high-sugar foods are often low in micronutrients, fiber, phytochemicals, and essential fatty acids. Moreover, they have a high energy density and are rich in saturated fat. So if you consume a lot of these high-sugar foods with unfavorable nutrient profiles, you increase your risk of consuming a lot of calories with few essential nutrients. Not a good combination!

But if you get most of your energy from nutrient-dense foods and do not go overboard, you can eat sugar-containing vegan foods without negative health consequences. Plus, there are foods with a high(er) sugar content that also have ingredients that can be beneficial for health. Foods can contain sugar and be rich in micronutrients, or they can be vegan, sugar-free and low in micronutrients.

For example, a sugar-sweetened milk alternative that is fortified with calcium can be considered more beneficial to health than a vegan milk alternative without added sugar and no calcium. If children only like the sugar-containing drink, it is better for them to drink that one than none at all. Even legumes do not become less valuable when a little sugar is added; the important ingredients remain. Of course, no one food is healthy or unhealthy, it is the whole diet that matters.

Sugar will only make you sick and flabby if you consume not enough beneficial nutrients, take in more energy than you need, and, as a consequence, gain weight, become obese and suffer from related diseases.

Reason 7: Sugar Disrupts the Gut Microbiome

In recent years, scientists and non-scientists alike have become increasingly aware of the smallest inhabitants of your gut. It is becoming increasingly clear that they play an important role in health. But what exactly constitutes a “healthy gut microbiome” is not fully understood yet. It also seems to be an individual thing. What is clear is that diet affects which bacteria colonize the human gut and in what quantities. In particular, the proportion of macronutrients in the diet plays a role. But is sugar bad for the gut?

There is no evidence that it is. Sugar is mostly metabolized in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and the bacteria are mainly found in the colon, the lower part of the intestine. There are no human studies showing disruption of the intestinal flora or the intestinal barrier (Camilleri et al., 2019). Again, if a high intake of high-sugar foods results in a low intake of fiber, this can have a negative impact. This is because fiber promotes the production of health-promoting short-chain fatty acids.

As you can see, the most common arguments for a vegan and sugar-free diet are only partially justified. Completely eliminating sugar from your diet is not necessary for health reasons, and may even be counterproductive if you eliminate important foods or develop a fear of certain foods. Please question strict prohibitions and absolute statements regarding nutrition!

Here is an overview of the pros and cons of a vegan and sugar-free diet.

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Vegan and Sugar-Free: Advantages

• May lead to paying more attention to one’s diet.
• May reduce caloric intake by increasing intake of fiber and foods with low energy density, thereby reducing the risk of obesity.
• May increase the intake of micronutrients because of new food choices.
• May have a positive effect on dental health.

For a vegan and sugar-free diet to result in positive changes, high-sugar, micronutrient-poor foods must be replaced with micronutrient-rich foods. If sugar is replaced by similar products sweetened with, for example, syrups, no changes are expected.

Vegan and Sugar-Free: Disadvantages

• May lead to fear of sugar.
• Prohibition of foods makes them more attractive; feeling of deprivation leads to dissatisfaction
• → Increased risk of disordered eating / eating disorders.
• Social isolation possible because sugar-avoiding people cannot eat in company of others who do not.
• Fear of meals whose ingredients are unknown.
• Sugar-containing foods may also contain beneficial nutrients.
• Sugar offers benefits as a quick source of energy for athletes who rely on rapid replenishment of glycogen stores before, during and between sessions to maintain performance.
• Higher time requirements and costs.
• Makes the vegan diet more complicated.
• Can lead to a “healthy vegan diet” not being attempted at all, because of the feeling that sugar must be completely eliminated, which does not seem to be attractive or possible at all.

Tips for a Vegan and Sugar-Free Diet

Do not restrict yourself unnecessarily. A completely sugar-free vegan diet offers no advantages over a vegan diet with some sugar, based on whole foods rich in micronutrients.

In its guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar intake should be less than 10 % of energy intake per day. In their statement, scientists emphasize that there is no evidence that sugar without excess calories is dangerous. However, higher intakes (especially from beverages) appear to increase the risk of obesity and tooth decay (WHO, 2015).

For an energy intake of 2000 kcal, this is equivalent to 50 g of sugar. To illustrate:

• one glass of cola contains 20 g of sugar
• 250g sweetened soy yoghurt contains 3–6 g sugar
• 200 ml sweetened soy milk contains 3–5 g sugar
• 200 ml orange juice contains 18 g sugar
• 30 g of sour gummi bears contain 20 g of sugar.

Our Conclusion

Sugar itself is not harmful. The change in food choices brought about by a vegan and sugar-free diet can have a positive effect on health. There is no evidence that eating sugar is bad for your health, as long as your overall diet meets your nutrient and calorie needs.

However, because it has been shown that a higher intake of foods high in sugar promotes excess caloric intake in real life and therefore increases the risk of several diseases, it may be wise to watch your sugar intake or reduce your intake of foods high in sugar. A completely vegan and sugar-free diet is difficult to follow on a daily basis and is not necessary.

Integrating sugar in your diet may be beneficial if

• it is difficult to consume enough calories;
• energy is needed quickly (for athletes or when hypoglycemia occurs)
• the food tastes good.

As you can see, extreme black and white thinking is not helpful and can become negative if it leads to a feeling of deprivation. For those who have difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight and easily gain weight, reducing sugar intake may help. Ultimately, however, caloric intake must be kept in mind. Sugar should not simply be replaced by syrups and the like. You can reduce the amount of caloric sweeteners, use no-calorie/reduced-calorie sweeteners, and/or reduce the amount of high-calorie foods.

The focus of a healthy vegan diet should be on micronutrient-dense foods. These are usually minimally processed and therefore automatically low in sugar.

Focus on incorporating foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Often, you will automatically reduce the amount of other less nutritious foods.

Once you have met your essential nutrient needs, you can enjoy those gummy bears. But remember to brush your teeth 😉