Posts Tagged ‘sugar cravings’

There is perception that there isn’t enough evidence to prove that a sugar high-sugar additction is real. There are many dimensions to the sugar high-sugar addiction phenomenon that is sweeping the country.

From Wiki Online

“A sugar “high” occurs when your bloodstream is flooded with glucose, usually produced from ingested carbohydrates which can easily be converted into glucose, such as sugars and certain polymers of sugar, such as starches. Your brain is unique in that it requires glucose, and cannot use other forms of energy such as fats or proteins. So when glucose levels are high in your blood, you feel energized and awake. The state of high blood-glucose levels, through a very fundamental signaling system, triggers the release of insulin from cells in your pancreas. Insulin is a directive for your body to store this extra energy as fat once your glycogen reserve has been topped off (so you can make it through the winter and other times when there may be no food). Therefore, your entire body feels active during a sugar high.”

Sugar Rollercoaster

“On the other hand, a sugar “crash” is probably on the way. If a very large amount of easily broken down carbohydrates is ingested, blood-glucose levels rise rapidly and cause a high degree of insulin release. This creates a sugar “rollercoaster” inside your body as glucose levels are brought down precipitously, to the point where you feel fatigued, tired, and…hungry! Eventually, your body can become resistant to insulin, causing chronic high blood-glucose levels. This is known as hyperglycemia, and is the beginning stage of type II diabetes.”

Craving Sugar

There is such a thing as a sugar high. Also, sugar craving seems to be something that occurs in industrialized societies. This is different than just liking the taste of sweet foods one in awhile.

This is part and parcel of the American Standard Diet. An acronym is the (SAD) diet. That may as well stand for the sugar addiction diet, of the salt addiction diet. Both of these hold true, as all food manufacturing companies understand so well.

Sugar Addiction

Is there such a thing as a recovered sugar addict? This is different that a recovering alcoholic or drug user. Most of our current food supply contains sugar or a sugar substitute. Any sugar substitute sets you up to crave more sweets. 

You can keep a sugar addiction by consuming better forms, such as a high fruit diet. That may not cut it for a true sugar addict. It is a fact that many Americans are addicted to this substance. Without being aware of the reasons for their food preferences, such as pancakes, coffee with sugar, sweet cereals, nearly all restaurant foods have some sugar as an ingredient.

The average American consumes 2-3 pounds of sugar a week. This includes all forms from sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar) and high-fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is in many processed foods. These include bread, cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and most pre-packaged foods.

Wikipedia on Sugar Addiction

There has been reference to the idea of sugar addiction in the popular literature for a number of years.

In 1998, Kathleen DesMaisons outlined the concept of sugar addiction as a measurable physiological state caused by activation of mu-opioid receptors in the brain. Her work extracted data from studies done showing that sugar acted as an analgesic drug whose effects could be blocked by a morphine blocker.

“Recent behavioral tests in rats further back the idea of an overlap between sweets and drugs. Drug addiction often includes three steps.

A person will increase his intake of the drug, experience withdrawal symptoms when access to the drug is cut off and then face an urge to relapse back into drug use.

Rats on sugar have similar experiences. Researchers withheld food for 12 hours and then gave rats food plus sugar water. This created a cycle of binging where the animals increased their daily sugar intake until it doubled. When researchers either stopped the diet or administered an opioid blocker the rats showed signs common to drug withdrawal, such as teeth-chattering and the shakes.

Early findings also indicate signs of relapse. Rats weaned off sugar repeatedly pressed a lever that previously dispensed the sweet solution.”(Leah Ariniello, Brain Briefings, October 2003)