How addictive is sugar? - PaleoHacks.com

How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T04:10:52Z

I remember when I was a kid and I heard the ice cream truck coming, I would drop everything and RUN to the house for money and the run down the street for the truck as fast as I could go. I never ran that hard for anything else in my life during those years. Sugar tasted like heaven and it was the only thing that would motivate me that much. Later, when I went lowcarb for the first time, breaking that sugar addiction for the first time took incredible will power over the course of several days. Even now, I think of myself in some ways as a recovering sugar addict. Looking back, the pattern of addiction seems clear, even down to withdrawal symptoms, but for most of my life, I had no idea. Is sugar that addicting to everyone? Has there been much research on this? I am wondering if this is universal or tends to be more genetic in nature. I have met some people who say they don't like sweet things that much, but even they do seem to eat a lot of starch and get fat, so pure sugar along can't be a problem for everyone. Or can it? Thoughts? Anyone here never really addicted to sugar?

Answer by No more. for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T04:36:03Z

For me, sugar was addicting until I pumped up the fat and protein content. Then getting rid of it was breeze. The cookie at lunch just wasn't as tempting. In that sense sugar doesn't seem to be a typical addiction. For me, its necessity was predicated on the lack of a different macronutrient. Plus, eating sugary stuff is just damn easy. I think it's more of the ease that's addicting than the substance itself. You need to know how to live with out sugar which takes some serious lifestyle reprogramming.

Answer by FanOfSunshine for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T04:54:20Z

I believe sugar is very addicting. I no longer have cravings for anything sweet. But, if I decide to indulge.., the addiction comes back very quickly thus harder to resist.

Answer by Kamal for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T04:55:00Z

I get easily addicted. Sugar is my favorite thing in the world. Research supports this, although it doesn't stop me from feeling like a wimpy little baby when it comes to self-control. During a tenure at a pain clinic, my favorite cocktail was strong opioid painkillers plus a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

"Sugar is noteworthy as a substance that releases opioids and dopamine and thus might be expected to have addictive potential...Neural adaptations include changes in dopamine and opioid receptor binding, enkephalin mRNA expression and dopamine and acetylcholine release in the nucleus accumbens. The evidence supports the hypothesis that under certain circumstances rats can become sugar dependent. This may translate to some human conditions as suggested by the literature on eating disorders and obesity."

Answer by JP for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T05:02:38Z

You might find this interesting (sugar is more addictive than cocaine in mouse models) :

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Answer by ScottMGS for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T05:52:18Z

Hello, my name is Scott and I'm a sugarholic. It's been... four hours since my last sugar fix. *hangs head*

Yeah, I can now be away from sugar for longer and longer periods of time. Sometimes, though, something triggers a craving and I cave. Some of the factors that I've been able to identify about my own binges are lack of sleep or poor sleep, lack of exercise, recent sugar intake (the longer I go without, the easier resisting is), stress (especially about something that I feel powerless about).

Answer by Wozza for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T06:45:09Z

I first read about sugar as sweet poison a year ago. I'm still trying to get off it. My record is nine days off it. I've also had 4 days off it. I'm into my second day right now. It's unbelievably frustrating the hold sugar has on me. I can be eating sugar before I even know what I'm doing. I know I'll lose a stack of weight if I can stop eating it and I want that very much, but my brain always says, "just this last once", and it seems it there's nothing I can do. I remember yesterday thinking, all day long, "there's no excuses today." That got me through.

I think it could be the most addictive substance known to man. Ask any random person to give up sugar and see how they react.

Answer by Melissa for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T13:33:52Z

Been off sugar since March 2002. I have never cheated, not once. The trick for me was giving it up for good with no exceptions. No birthday cake or holiday treats. After the first month it became pretty easy. Tempted occasionally. After a few months the desire was gone. Never tempted.

Answer by Grok N Roll for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T13:45:48Z

I was raised on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk. Later in life switched to sugar laden cereals. I was one hyper spun out kid. As an adult my addiction continued with sugary coffee and protein powders. There was always a strong feeling of need for that fix. My strength waned and my recovery from exercise was nearly non existant. I used to be so fixated on sugar and not even know it. It was the ultimate comfort food. Now i find myself getting just about as excited about eating meat and fat. I hope this continues!

Answer by Alison for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T13:57:26Z

The only way I can prevent myself from eating sugar is to literally think of it as a dangerous drug, and label my behaviors as those of an addict. One day at a time! Look into compulsive- or over-eaters anonymous, they have solid advice and a nice support group. Maybe look up addiction psychology too. It was a real eye opener. Good luck!

Answer by Cacktus Wayfinder for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T14:12:22Z

The first time I stole something (I was like six) it was sugary striped gum. I used to take coins from my Mom's purse to buy Hostess fruit pies, Twinkies, Ho hos, and all kinds of candy, including that crap candy necklace that's on a stretchy string that you wear around your neck. I never remember taking change from my Mom's purse for meat. Or vegetables.

Answer by TheCommonSenseWarrior for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T15:42:37Z

At a recent Robb Wolf workshop he told us of a client ( I believe this is in his book as well), who was formally addicted to crack, got off of it and subsequently became addicted to sugar putting on something like 100 lbs from crapacinos, donuts, etc. She stated that it was harder to get off of sugar then it was crack!

Answer by greta for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T15:54:05Z

Sugar is one of the accepted drugs of modern society. Most people I talk to about my eating habits say something along the lines of "Well, that sounds good, but I could NEVER give up bread!" Someone once said that if you find something which you CANNOT give up, you probably should. I stay off sugar for the most part, but when I do have a taste it's really hard to stop and I usually go overboard, end up feeling like crap physically and mentally. Now I just go for berries in coconut milk, as the sugar in fruit at least comes packaged with fiber, and I don't seem to induce more cravings from that. To all those trying to free themselves from the tyranny of this substance, Godspeed! You most certainly can do it.

Answer by Matt for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T18:54:35Z

From a personal perspective I have never found sugar to be addictive, or any food really. Even as a child the chocolate I was given for christmas would last me for months.

However I am unconvinced that sugar is itself addictive. If sugar was addictive then surely its purest form would be the more attractive and yet I do not see people eating spoonfuls of white sugar or glucose surup from the baking section of supermarkets (I expect someone does). I don't see people craving boiled potatoes to get a starch fix either and few people would drink vegetable oil either. However combine these into a doughnut and the situation changes.

Looking at the answers given previously people metion the following: Sugary coffee, donuts, cappacinos, Twinkies, birthday cake, ice cream.

All of these are combinations of sugar, fat, dairy, starch, flavourings etc. I suspect it is the specific combinations of these ingredients and flavours that overstimulate the reward centers of the brain producint addictive live qualities. This article proposes the same idea - How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains . Blaming sugar alone seems as incorrect as just blaming fat for processed foods adictive effects.

How suseptable you are the addictive effects of foods will vary in the same way as any other personallity trait. Some people even get addicted to the stimulatory effects of the internet...

Answer by gharkness for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-09T20:13:55Z

For me it's not sugar, but sweet taste. I gave up sugar some 10-12 years ago, but the sweet taste (as in sucralose, stevia and erythritol) is a battle I fight (and lose) daily. And even though I know that the sweet taste brings along problems with insulin, I can honestly, when no one's looking, say in truth that I don't really want to give up things that taste sweet. I'm pretty sure that if I really wanted to, I could do it - ergo, I must not really want to. I do know that if I manage to make it one day without anything that tastes sweet, I am plotting for the next day how I can have "just a little" of something sweet, since I did so well the first day. By 10:00 am of the next day when I've had "just a little," I have fallen down the rabbit hole again.

From someone who walked away from cigarettes some 20 years ago with nary a look back or a craving, I'll have to say: this addiction to sweet tase is something that really has me flummoxed.

Answer by PrimalStyle for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-10T19:21:41Z

Robb Wolf's direct quote:

It's like crack!

Answer by PrimalStyle for How addictive is sugar?

2010-11-10T19:32:59Z

And you know the silliest part? Everyone knows sugar is devoid of nutrition, causing tooth decay, etc. Yet most people still let it in. Mind boggling...