Sugar Addiction

What Causes People to Develop Sugar Addiction?

Sugar causes a brief high energy boost. Furthermore, sugar is as addicting as cocaine, say some researchers. Sugar's dopamine release is popular. Owing to sugar's addictive nature, overindulging may cause obesity and diabetes. Additionally, sugar addiction is dangerous for persons with poor moods, anxiety, and distress.

Constantly fatigued individuals may want carb-rich, sweet meals. So, sugar produces endorphins and mixes with other substances to boost energy. Once someone associates sugar with energy, they may grow reliant on it. Further sugar cravings may balance irritation, emotional downturns, and other disorders. Sugar addiction develops when it's impossible to avoid sugary products.

Symptoms Of Sugar Addiction

In contrast to many other drug use disorders and behavioral compulsions, sugar addiction is frequently simple to recognize. The most obvious indicators of sugar addiction are the intake of high quantities of sugary foods and beverages. The person may overeat, eat to counteract boredom, get hyperactive, and then collapse. They also might discuss sugar cravings after unpleasant or upsetting life events.

Sugar Addiction & Emotional Eating

People may like sugar's immediate energy and sweet flavor, and sugar is a "quick fix" throughout a hectic day. Further, people going through breakups or emotionally unpleasant events usually comfort themselves with chocolates or ice cream.

Moreover, those who use sugar to manage emotions are more prone to get addicted. Weight gain and difficulties concentrating are further signs of emotional sugar addiction. This undermines self-esteem, causes helplessness, and reduces self-worth, leading to greater sugar intake, more severe addiction and eating sugar to combat emotional eating.

Sugar Addiction and Binge Eating

Sugar addiction is characterized by binge eating. Binge eating consumes too much and fast, causing guilt, embarrassment, and disgust. So, this may involve binging on sweets to regulate emotions and self-medicate. Food, particularly sugar, is a temporary emotional solution.

Sugar Addiction and Anxiety

Anxiety increases sugar cravings. Binge eating and anorexia are the root cause, and emotional and psychological issues often cause such diseases. Stress eating is a prominent illustration of the link between eating disorders and anxiety.

Anxiety releases cortisol, which makes some people hungry. For some, stress might increase sugar cravings. Further sugar addiction combined with eating to relieve anxiety usually causes weight gain. Moreover, sugar may aggravate anxiety since sugar lows cause fatigue and despair.

Sugar Addiction and Alcoholism

Children with alcoholic parents are susceptible to sugar addiction. Dopamine receptors in the brain power up when we eat sweets, comparable to ones who abuse alcohol. This may encourage sweets-addicted persons to drink.

Alcoholics want sweets and experience sugar withdrawals. Children inherit their parents' alcoholism and sugar appetite, and the child now possesses both compulsions.

Sugar Withdrawal, Healing and Recovery

Sugar withdrawal symptoms include irritation, fogginess, mood swings, and poor energy. Since so many sugar addicts’ binge, withdrawal and cravings may be extreme. Further, many opt to consume sweet meals for the brain's chemical release. To restore control, substitute unhealthy sweets with natural and nutritious ones. Withdrawal can last from 7-10 days, up to one month or more, depending on the severity and length of the sugar addiction.

Common ways to detox and recovery from sugar addiction include removing soda and food & drink with processed sugar from your diet, drink 6-12 glasses of water daily, increase healthy fat intake, increase healthy protein intake, increase healthy complex carbohydrate intake, replace sweets with fresh fruits and berries, and eat only healthy snack food items. Other ways to heal your sugar addiction include attending support groups, performing regular service work, reducing stress, practicing yoga, exercising regularly, meditation, maintaining consistent sleep patterns not missing meals and more.