The terms “sugar high” and “sugar addiction” used to be trite expressions mostly scorned by the medical community. Medical research in the last three years, however, has been continuously finding that dependence on sugar is actually a very real phenomenon. More and more evidence is accumulating that the brain and body can develop an actual addiction to sweet foods.
Researchers have found that some people have a genetic predisposition to become overly dependent on sugar. This sugar dependence is more likely to happen when we periodically stop eating and then “binge” on sweets. The trigger that gets the addiction started, in other words, is fasting and binging. Scientists have found that a cycle of deprivation and excessive sugar intake reinforces binging. The starve-binge cycle catches up with us and makes us dependent. True sugar addiction quickly develops. In rats, the addiction happens in less than ten days.
The reason sugar becomes addictive is related to two of our most powerful types of brain chemicals: dopamine and opioids. The taste of sugar makes the brain release natural opioids, and the binging causes the release of dopamine. Dopamine is the brain’s motivational “reward system” chemical. Opioids are endorphins and other brain chemicals that affect pleasure, appetite, and cause euphoria when released in large amounts (think heroin).
The brain’s receptors for these chemicals become sensitized, and addiction develops so that without the increased amounts of these neurotransmitters, we begin to feel anxious and have a strong need to eat sweet food again. In rat studies, the rats showed common withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, teeth chattering, and tremors. They binged on sugar as soon as they were given the chance.
In addition to the opioid and dopamine connection, sugar addiction has a number of other possible causes, including poor blood sugar regulation, other brain chemical imbalances, and hormonal imbalances. Stress, lack of sleep, and insufficient exercise all have roles in sugar cravings as well.
So, how do we recover from sugar addiction? As with any addiction, recovery is not easy, and there is no magic pill. But it is possible! I’ve seen many, many patients get off the sugar rollercoaster. As a naturopathic physician, I am committed to uncovering the individual underlying causes of my patients’ sugar cravings.
First, we need to do more of the activities that release our natural feel-good chemicals without creating addiction and harming our health: smiling, laughing, exercising, getting massaged, meditating, singing, listening to our favorite music, and having organisms (to name a few)!
We also need to look at other diet and lifestyle factors that contribute to sugar addiction. Medical researchers have shown that withdrawal symptoms and dips in dopamine levels do not occur when meals are “moderate” and regularly scheduled. I explore what this means with each of my sugar-addicted patients and work with them to develop their own personalized sugar craving tool-kit. I help my patients implement diet and lifestyle therapies that work for them, and I use selective botanical compounds and nutritional supplements to help curb cravings, balance brain chemicals, and regain health.
Please join me at the Center for Health Awareness on November 7th at 7:30, where I will be giving a “Kick the Sugar Habit” talk.
