The study found that one in three participants were able to completely give up sugar for two weeks.

Difficulties in giving up sugar are more likely to be experienced by people with increased levels of stress and anxiety, as well as those who initially consumed more sugar or were not confident in their ability to control.

In a study by Rimke Baker and her colleagues, about one in three participants was able to completely give up sugar for two weeks.

The scientist urged not to consider complete abstinence from sugar as the only indicator of success and not to perceive one-time consumption of sugar as a failure of the attempt.

MOSCOW, October 5 - RIA Novosti. Difficulties in giving up sugar are more likely to be experienced by people with high levels of stress and anxiety, as well as those who initially consumed more sugar or were not confident in their ability to control, Rimke Baker, a researcher in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Auckland University of Technology, told RIA Novosti.

Baker and her colleagues followed 203 participants as they tried to give up free sugars for two weeks. Five times a day, participants reported whether they consumed sugar, experienced sugar cravings, and also talked about how they were feeling.

"Interestingly, people who reported higher levels of stress and anxiety before failure were also more likely to experience more symptoms," the study's lead author noted.

It was also more difficult for participants to give up sugar if they initially consumed more of it, had stronger cravings for sweets, or were less confident in their ability to control their consumption.

During the study, approximately every third participant was able to completely give up sugar for the entire two weeks. However, even those who were unable to completely eliminate sugar during the study consumed it infrequently. Thus, the typical participant ate sugar on only two out of 14 days.

At the same time, the scientist urged not to consider complete abstinence from sugar in everyday life as the only indicator of success.