When you step back and take a look at your diet, you'll realize that Americans eat a lot of sugar. Sugar is in most processed foods, along with breads, pastas, desserts, and even items like spaghetti sauce. Truth is, it's hard to avoid sugar unless you're cooking every meal yourself. 

Kids in particularly tend to take in large amounts of sugar, thanks to popular sugary cereals. That's why the National Institutes of Health recently funded a study to examine the effects that sugar has on a child's body. According to the New York Times, scientists removed sugar from children's diets while replacing the sugar with other carbohydrates, keeping the children's daily caloric intake the same. 

So what happened? Well, in just 10 days without sugar, the kids in this study experienced a 10-point drop on their LDL cholesterol, according to the New York Times. LDL cholesterol is regarded as being the cause of heart disease. 

But it gets better. During the 10-day study, the kids' diabetic blood pressure also fell by five points. That single factor alone could have major implications on a child's life. 

Still not convinced? Study participants saw a drop in their triglyceride level by 33 points. Triglycerides contribute to heart disease, so the lower your level, the better.

While the kids in the study only changed their diet for 10 days, according to the Washington Post, the kids lost an average of two pounds each during the time. Simply reducing the amount of sugar in your diet could be a powerful step in your weight loss journey. 

Basically, removing the sugar from the kids' diets created marked health improvements, even in just 10 days. Benefits like reduced diabetes risk and lowered risk of heart disease are super important and shouldn't be ignored. 

Want to reduce the sugar in your diet? Then it's time to start paying attention to what you're eating, and what foods sugar may be hidden in. Remember, processed foods almost always contain sugar, even if it's not readily apparent. 

One good way to cut down on sugar is to eat as many natural, non-processed foods as you can. If you don't cook your own meals yet, start. It's easier to manage the sugar in your meals when you're the one creating your meals. 

The study on how 10 days without sugar affects children is an eye-opening look at what sugar does to our bodies. Diabetes, heart disease, and all of the complications that come with obesity are major threats to our health and our lives. Are you ready to make the change to healthier living?