Sugar cravings are real.
They can strike at any time,
and they seem to pop up when stress is high
or when the 3 p.m. slump threatens to
sap energy and derail plans to stay awake.
Getting hooked on the sweet stuff is real,
and so are its effects on a person’s well-being,
but can sugar be as addictive as drugs?
There is some debate over the issue, but
some health care professionals and
scientists believe it can be.
In 2017, an article published in the
British Journal of Sports Medicine asserted
that sugar might be as addictive as drugs
like cocaine. The authors also expressed that
sugar could serve as a gateway to alcohol
and other addictive substances.
Cardiovascular research scientist
James DiNicolantonio of St. Luke’s
Mid-America Heart Institute in
Kansas City, Mo., who co-wrote the study,
told The Guardian that in their study of
sugar’s effects on mice, they observed,
“In animals, [sugar] is actually
more addictive than even cocaine,
so sugar is pretty much probably the
most consumed addictive substance
around the world, and it is
wreaking havoc on our health.”
An April 2016 study conducted by
researchers at the Queensland
University of Technology found that
consuming excessive amounts of sugar
elevates the brain’s dopamine levels
in a way similar to drugs such as cocaine.
Over time, dopamine levels will fall,
which means users will consume
more sugar to achieve the same
“high” and avoid mild depression.
This is similar to the experience drug users
have when using addictive substances.
The study also found that withdrawing from
chronic sucrose exposure can cause an
imbalance in dopamine levels, which will
make it hard for people to quit sugar
abruptly, or “cold turkey.”
DO NOT QUIT SUGAR “COLD TURKEY”
Just as drug users are advised not to quit cold turkey
after long-term substance use, people who use sugar
are also advised to go slow as they scale back.
Quitting suddenly can lead to unpleasant side effects.
Among them irritability, headaches, anxiety,
and other uncomfortable changes. It is better to
cut back on sugar slowly so the body can get used
to reduced levels of sugar intake.
SIGNS OF SUGAR DEPENDENCE
There may be some debate over whether sugar
can be as addictive as drugs, but there are ways
to tell if your sweet tooth is not enough to satisfy
your cravings and if that has become a problem.
Among them are:
You eat more foods with sugar than you want to.
If you intend to eat one or two food items with sugar
and end up eating way more than you intended,
you might be addicted to sugar.
You crave salty foods or meat.
Why does this happen? It is the body’s attempt
to balance out a large intake of sugary foods/drinks.
A constant craving for salty foods could mean
you’re eating too much sugar.
Eating to the point where you feel ill or unsettled.
Frequency matters, so if you do this every day or
a few times a week, you might have a sugar dependence.
Cravings for simple carbohydrates or simple sugars.
Among those are bread, pasta, white rice, and pastries.
Candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks also contain
simple carbohydrates. Eating complex carbohydrates,
which are found in peas, whole grains, and vegetables
are better for you.
If any of one of these signs apply to your situation,
it might be time to take a look at how much sugar
you’re eating. Limiting how much sugar you eat is
the only way to break a sugar dependence.
The first step to addressing a dependence
is to become aware of it. A healthy diet can include
sugar, but it’s important to keep consumption
within a healthy range.
In addition to cutting back on sugar, look for words
that end in “ose,” such as fructose, dextrose, maltose,
or sucrose, the chemical name for table sugar.
If any of these ingredients appear high up in the
list of ingredients for a food product, then it means
that food has a large amount of sugar in it!
Cardiologist Dr. James O’Keefe told KCTV in 2015
that it can take six weeks to end an addiction to sugar
and that strong craving can feel like drug withdrawal!