2023-10-20 07:50:22
In June 2023, the SOS Hepatitis and Liver Diseases association called for volunteers for a unique experience. The goal is to eliminate or in any case reduce your consumption of added sugars as much as possible for a full month. 203 volunteers completed the experiment. Explanations.
A month to talk regarding added sugars
The “month without added sugars” operation took place from 1is to June 30, 2023, organized by the SOS Hepatitis and Liver Diseases Association. This operation consisted of the several hundred volunteers reducing their consumption of added sugars as much as possible. An individual challenge and a collective experience to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of reducing added sugar intake in the diet. 377 volunteers responded to the first questionnaire at the beginning of June and 203 completed the experiment by answering the final questionnaire at the end of June.
The diet contains different types of sugars, including added sugars. Added sugars correspond with refined sugars used in food preparation or used as table sugar. This is for example the sugar added to yogurt or that added to the preparation of cakes. It is also the sugar used in the composition of certain industrial dishes and cold meats. These sugars, ingested in excess, impact the proper functioning of the liver. The liver converts excess sugars into fats, which accumulate in the liver or other areas of the body.
Reduce your consumption of added sugars to preserve your liver
The volunteers registered for the “month without added sugars” operation were predominantly women, with an average age of 48 years. More than half of the volunteers were overweight or obese and had already followed one or more diets before. Nearly one in three participants reported at the start of the study that they had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), one of the possible consequences of excess added sugars in the diet. 64% of volunteers participated in the operation, considering themselves already aware of the issues of excessive sugar consumption.
Among the 203 volunteers who completed the experiment, 88% reduced their consumption of added sugars during the month of June 2023 and almost half reduced it significantly, or even completely eliminated it, every day without exception. . The operation therefore proved to be a success and confirms that it is possible, at least over a few weeks, to reduce consumption. However, the figures also reveal that 62% of participants felt a real lack of sugar during this period. 39% even consider that they have a real sugar addiction.
See you in 2024 for a new operation!
To reduce their consumption of added sugars, participants targeted certain types of foodswhich they stopped consuming or significantly reduced:
- Industrial biscuits and pastries;
- Chocolate ;
- Candy and confectionery;
- Dairy products and sweet desserts;
- Sodas and other sugary drinks.
But 18% of volunteers said they mightn’t do without their usual chocolate consumption!
Even though going without it was not easy for many participants, many experienced beneficial effects during this month. Nearly half of the volunteers noted a reduction in cravings and regarding a third lost weight this month. The operation, inspired by other operations such as tobacco-free month, is a success, since all the participants said they were motivated to continue the operation in different ways:
- By continuing to reduce consumption over the long term;
- By paying more attention to your daily diet.
Building on this success, the SOS Hepatitis and Liver Diseases association is already planning to repeat the operation in 2024, hoping to organize a month without added sugars on a larger scale.
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
Sources
– FROM PARTICIPATORY CHALLENGE TO EXPRESSING USER NEEDS. “June without added sugars 2023” A personal challenge, a collective experiment. SOS Hepatitis and Liver Diseases Federation. Press Kit.soshepatites.org. Accessed October 5, 2023
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