Sugar actually makes us ill as well as causing us to gain weight, according to new research.

A study at the University of California investigated whether sugar has worse effects on your body than other food. In the study, they replaced the children’s usual diets with one that had no added sugar.

They didn’t cut out unhealthy food, just replaced it with processed junk food that contained no added sugar. The children weren’t consuming any fewer calories than they normally would, but these calories were coming from a different source.

The study found that after nine days, their blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance were all better.

“Every aspect of their metabolic health improved,” the researchers stated. This is all after just nine days without sugar!

The study concluded that sugar doesn’t just increase calorie intake, but that it also contributes to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that involves a number of risk factors that raise the chance of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Researchers also made the point that sugar is addictive and a toxin, just like alcohol.

The good news? This study suggests that if you give up sugar, your health could start to improve in just over a week!

Further study is needed to determine whether the same results can be achieved with adults, but this research points to reducing sugar intake as a key way to make you healthier.