Regular consumption of sugar is said to have many repercussions; it may cause diabetes, obesity and other health issues. When you tend to consume excessive sugar, it may affect your liver, increase uric acid levels, causes metabolic dysfunction and trap you into this vicious cycle of craving and bingeing on sweets. While eating excessive sugar can be dangerous, quitting it completely can be equally harmful; we are not talking about white refined sugar, but natural sugars. Let's find out if quitting sugar completely is a good option.

According to Macrobiotic Coach and Nutritionist Shilpa Arora, "no-one really needs white sugar; it's the most toxic food for the body. Sugar should be consumed in organic natural food items. Nature's sweetness comes with a host of antioxidants and powerful nutrients. Go for seasonal fruits like mangoes, cherries, strawberries, plums, apples and pomegranate. These naturally sweet fruits are anti-inflammatory and do not affect your blood sugar levels; thanks to the presence of fibre and water. Pick dried fruits like raisins, dates and apricots. These are the sugars our body is designed to metabolise unlike synthetic processed sugar."

We all know to go easy on the sweet stuff, but what actually happens to your system when you indulge? Here are ways sugar affects your body.

1. Your brain suffers
Fructose—the sugar that naturally occurs in fruit and is a component, with glucose, of high fructose corn syrup and table sugar—lights up the brain's reward center. But over time, a diet packed with fructose (especially from HFCS) can make it tougher to learn and remember, animal research suggests. To stay in peak mental shape, try sticking with savory snacks.

2. You want to eat more
By revving the brain's reward and appetite center, fructose can interfere with feelings of satiety, research reveals. Translation: That extra cookie may not curb your craving after all.

3. Skin ages faster
Too much sugar can hinder the repair of collagen, the buzzed-about protein that keeps skin looking plump, studies show. A steady diet of sugary treats can result in reduced elasticity and premature wrinkles. Indulge your sweet tooth with fruit instead. Experts say it's A-OK to eat two to four servings of the natural sugar source each day.

4. You want to eat more
By revving the brain's reward and appetite center, fructose can interfere with feelings of satiety, research reveals. Translation: That extra cookie may not curb your craving after all.

5. Skin ages faster
Too much sugar can hinder the repair of collagen, the buzzed-about protein that keeps skin looking plump, studies show. A steady diet of sugary treats can result in reduced elasticity and premature wrinkles. Indulge your sweet tooth with fruit instead. Experts say it's A-OK to eat two to four servings of the natural sugar source each day.

6. Stress eating begets stress
Sweets can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the near term, research shows. But continue OD'ing on sugary refined carbs and your risk of insulin resistance, which stresses the body from the inside, goes up. "Exercise is the best treatment for stress"