Is Sugar the New Addiction?
On the subject of wellness and weight maintenance, we cannot gloss over the importance of nutrition. Nutrition is in fact 80% of weight regulation, with exercise being 20%. Most people have it the other way around, and ignore the importance of clean eating.
One of the pitfalls of a healthy diet plan is sugar. I never really liked sugar. In fact, I did not even grow up with it. We didn’t have it in the house. I loved weekend play dates with the family who had the Koolaid basket…we could choose a flavor and make it ourselves. I can’t even remember how many cups of the white sugar we poured in the pitcher to produce those bright colored pitchers. It was pure entertainment, even if it was too disgusting to drink.
I only realized the power of sugar when I started eating it and then I tried to stop. In founding Bespoke Body, I have experimented with countless theories of nutrition. The power of sugar needed to be a part of that. I really questioned the science behind sugar addiction, so I tested it on myself. It was the only new thing that I incorporated into my diet, and the changes I experienced were eye-opening. I ate a lot of sugar, in all forms. Not just high sugar fruits… I became a regular at the candy store with the beautiful confections. I didn’t like when he asked if I wanted to be a rewards member. No, no, I won’t be a regular. On my fifth trip I reconsidered that membership. Then I knew it was time to end my experiment. How much fun it was though. Sugar is tasty!
From weight gain, to sleeplessness, to body inflammation, there was no doubt that my growing sugar habit was taking its toll on my body and mind. I was surprised when I was thinking of candy and cupcakes when I woke up one morning. First thing, not coffee or tea, rather ‘Where do I find a donut?’ I wanted this to end because it was zapping my energy as well as plumping my midsection. I proved to myself there are a lot of reasons to avoid sugar, not just weight gain. Something more than a tasty cake was driving me. Sugar addiction and what it does to the brain is one of them. Sugar addiction is real and well documented.
“Animal data has shown significant overlap between the consumption of added sugars and drug-like effects, including bingeing, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, cross-sensitization, cross-tolerance, cross-dependence, reward and opioid effects. Sugar addiction seems to be dependence to the natural endogenous opioids that get released upon sugar intake. In both animals and humans, the evidence in the literature shows substantial parallels and overlap between drugs of abuse and sugar, from the standpoint of brain neurochemistry as well as behaviour.”
DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson WL Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review Br J Sports Med 2018;52:910-913.
My research started here and exploded. The studies seemed endless but people are hesitant to jump on this bandwagon that their cookies mimic cocaine. The cocaine headlines are definitely inflammatory, and grab attention but seem a bit extreme. It becomes harder to ignore the scientific results when human studies give the same results. With so many books out now on this subject, all offering varying opinions, I suggest you look at the studies and decide for yourself.
This link is invaluable.
It is a great summary of many relevant points being debated today including binging, addiction, withdrawal, craving, and sensitization. Opioids and dopamine are explained, intermittent fasting is addressed and so much more! The studies, the authors, the journals…it is all there.
Sugar gave me such a battle that I decided to extend this topic.
Next Sugar Blog
Sugar Is Hidden In Plain Sight.
Sugar is no longer obvious. It’s not just in children’s cereal anymore. Thanks to marketing, products that claim to be low in sugar and no added sugar are still loaded with it. An example is meal supplements such as protein bars and drinks. They are marketed as a healthy alternative and a good thing to eat. Some are similar in nutritional content to a candy bar.
Sugar is also disguised using various chemical names making it hard to identify in nutrition labels. This will be discussed in detail with a helpful chart to download.
Following Week
If you are thinking of quitting sugar, here are some of the benefits you can expect: improved sleep and mental focus for starters, lasting energy, less belly fat, younger looking skin, improved digestion.
Sugar seemed inevitable and I questioned how it could truly be addictive if it was everywhere. But my experience with sugar was not pleasant and I changed my tune quickly. At least consider the research studies and decide for yourself. I wish you all success and please, find healthy moderation or just avoid it!
XO CIDNY