Why sugar creates addiction
There’s an increasing body of research that tells us sugar could be as addictive as some street drugs and have similar effects on the brain. Evidence is mounting that too much added sugar could lead to true addiction. Yes, sugar is addictive! Sugar addiction is one of the most common types of food addiction—all the more insidious. Many studies have shown that sugar is one of the most palatable and addictive foods and, with this knowledge, food manufacturers often use excessive amounts of it in foods we don’t even consider to be sweet. Research suggests that sugar shares several characteristics with addictive drugs. In addition to being highly palatable, sugar has a high “hedonic value,” meaning you experience pleasure when you eat it. Research shows that sugar can be even more addicting than cocaine.
The link between sugar and addictive behavior is tied to the fact that, when we eat sugar, opioids and dopamine are released. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is a key part of the “reward circuit” associated with addictive behavior. When a certain behavior causes an excess release of dopamine, you feel a pleasurable “high” that you are inclined to re-experience, and so repeat the behavior. As you repeat that behavior more and more, your brain adjusts to release less dopamine. The only way to feel the same “high” as before is to repeat the behavior in increasing amounts and frequency. This is known as substance abuse.
Sugar can exert a powerful influence over behaviour, making cutting it out of our diets very difficult. And quitting eating a high sugar diet leads to withdrawal effects. The length of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms following a sugar “detox” varies. Some people quickly adjust to functioning without sugar, while others may experience severe cravings and find it very difficult to resist sugary foods. The withdrawal symptoms are thought to be factors of individual sensitivity to sugar as well as the dopamine system readjusting to a sugar-free existence. The temporary drop in dopamine levels are thought to cause many of the psychological symptoms including cravings, particularly as our environment is filled with sweet temptations that you now have to resist.
Cutting sugar from your diet may not be easy, as so many processed or convenience foods have added sugars hidden in their ingredients. Switching from sugar to a sweetener can cut down on calories, but it is still feeding the sweet addiction. Similarly, sugar “replacements” like agave, rice syrup, honey and fructose are just sugar in disguise, and activate the brain’s reward system just as readily as sucrose. Physically, quitting sugar in your diet can help with weight loss, may reduce acne, improve sleeping and moods. And if you do reduce sugar consumption, sugary foods that were previously eaten to excess can taste overpoweringly sweet due to a recalibration of your sweetness sensation, enough to discourage over-consumption!
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