To lose weight and combat aging by cutting carbs and avoiding sugar requires caution
2026-07-14
Opening Short Video Platforms, Many Fitness and Beauty Influencers Promote "Carb-Cutting and Sugar-Avoiding" Guides:
They claim that eliminating staple foods and refined sugars is the secret to rapid weight loss, skin tightening, and anti-aging. Such topics have accumulated hundreds of millions of views, accompanied by promotions of meal-replacement products, anti-sugar pills, and blood-sugar-controlling supplements, attracting a large number of young people to follow the trend.
Experts Warn: Extreme "Carb-Cutting and Sugar-Avoiding" Depletes Metabolism and Damages Organs
Experts point out that while extreme "carb-cutting and sugar-avoiding" may show short-term results, it actually depletes metabolic function and damages organs. Long-term adherence will ultimately lead to more harm than benefit.
Did Weight Really Drop After "Carb-Cutting and Sugar-Avoiding"?
Xiao Li, a college student in Changchun, quit all staple foods and sweets to lose weight. Initially, the effect was obvious: her weight dropped by 3 kg in less than a week. Delighted, she decided to persist. But gradually, she found her weight loss slowed down, and she began to feel excessively sleepy and weak.
Yu Haitao, a Ph.D. from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at the School of Public Health, Jilin University, explained that "sugar avoidance" generally refers to cutting refined sugars like monosaccharides and disaccharides. Refined sugars cause rapid blood sugar spikes in the body, stimulating insulin secretion to convert glucose into fat. Reducing refined sugar intake can help prevent weight gain.
Experts emphasize that while "carb-cutting and sugar-avoiding" shows short-term results, long-term execution leads to various health issues—Xiao Li’s symptoms are typical examples. Yu Haitao added that the human brain mainly relies on glucose for energy; reduced carb intake impairs brain function, causing memory decline and slow reaction times. Prolonged "carb-cutting and sugar-avoiding" also leads to significant muscle loss. Since muscle is the core carrier of basal metabolism, continuous muscle decline slows down basal metabolism, contradicting the original goal of weight loss.
These Groups Face Higher Risks with "Carb-Cutting and Sugar-Avoiding" Weight Loss
Pan Xiuhua, Chief Physician of Clinical Nutrition at the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Maternal and Child Health Hospital, pointed out that adolescents, pregnant or lactating women, people with underlying diseases, the elderly, and high-intensity exercise groups face extremely high risks with "carb-cutting and sugar-avoiding."
Experts warn that adolescents are in a critical period of bone and endocrine development; carb deficiency hinders growth. Pregnant women must provide glucose for their fetus’s brain development; long-term low-carb intake in the mother triggers muscle gluconeogenesis and nutrient deficiencies, increasing the risk of fetal growth retardation. It is recommended that pregnant women consume at least 130 grams of carbs daily. For high-intensity exercisers or the elderly, insufficient carbs lead to muscle loss, significantly increasing fatigue and fall risks.
Additionally, for people with underlying diseases like diabetes, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism, liver/kidney disorders, etc., sudden carb reduction easily causes severe blood sugar fluctuations, leading to palpitations, tremors, syncope, brain injury, organ damage, and even life-threatening consequences.
How to Consume Sugar and Carbs Healthily?
Sun Guili, Chief Physician of the Integrated Weight Management Outpatient Department at Nanning Second People’s Hospital, stated that the "sugar" worth cautious对待 is added sugar (e.g., white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup) or free sugar (e.g., sugar in honey, fruit juice), not naturally occurring sugar in fresh fruits and milk. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022) recommend that adults limit added sugar intake to no more than 50 grams daily; reducing it to below 25 grams brings additional health benefits.
Practical Tips for Healthy Sugar and Carb Intake:
Replace refined grains with complex carbs: Sun Guili suggests replacing 1/3 to 1/2 of staple foods per meal with brown rice, oats, buckwheat, or mixed legumes. This slows glucose release, provides sustained energy, and supports gut health.
Strictly limit "free sugar," reasonably retain "endogenous sugar": Free sugar in liquid or refined forms (e.g., honey water, fruit juice) lacks nutrients, is absorbed rapidly, and increases the burden on the pancreas and visceral fat accumulation risk—such drinks should be consumed sparingly. In contrast, sugar in whole fruits is wrapped in plant cell walls and accompanied by vitamin C and polyphenols, which slow sugar absorption and exert antioxidant effects. Also, be wary of "hidden sugar" in braised or sweet-and-sour dishes during cooking.
Reject extremes, return to sustainable dietary patterns: Experts advise against using very low-carb or ketogenic diets (a high-fat, moderate-protein, very low-carb eating pattern) as routine fat-loss methods. Maintain carbohydrate energy intake at 50%-65% per meal, paired with ample vegetables and high-quality protein. The key to fat loss lies in cutting refined sugars and high-saturated-fat processed foods, reducing snacks, increasing exercise, and persisting—this is the scientific and healthy approach to fat loss. (Looking Forward to the New Era)
Edit：WENWEN Responsible editor：LINXUAN
Source：Xinhua Daily News Agency
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