Sugar Addiction
luv2xel74
Posts: 2 Member
Welcome to this discusson. I started this topic because sweets are a true addiction. If sweets are your weakness, this is a blog to help you fight this common enemy
According to the FDA sugar and its substitutes are the major contributors to obesity and diabetes.
Sugar has become the most addicting substance second to cigarettes According to the FDA and the AMA.
To break this addiction to sugar all foods must be examines closely, for its contents can hide sources of sugar.
Another way to fight this addiction to sugar can be solved with a small increase in sustainable proteins like cheese and cashew butter or even avocados.
Carefully focusing on your weightloss goals should also include identifying how much sugar you are consuming and a plan to change this before you begin a weightloss regiment.
According to the FDA sugar and its substitutes are the major contributors to obesity and diabetes.
Sugar has become the most addicting substance second to cigarettes According to the FDA and the AMA.
To break this addiction to sugar all foods must be examines closely, for its contents can hide sources of sugar.
Another way to fight this addiction to sugar can be solved with a small increase in sustainable proteins like cheese and cashew butter or even avocados.
Carefully focusing on your weightloss goals should also include identifying how much sugar you are consuming and a plan to change this before you begin a weightloss regiment.
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Replies
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Nope. I didn't eat lots of sugar when I was gaining weight. A good approach to losing is to understand how you were overeating and how to cut it. For me that included some unappreciated sugary things I just ate because they were there, at work, but even more some fat that was easily cut back and starches I ate just because they were easy or I had a messed up idea of serving size. Everyone's diet will be individual, and assuming we all have an issue with sugar is wrong and offensive.
And, not an addiction. That's just silliness.0 -
In human models, sugar has not been shown to be an addictive substance. But if you find a particular food to cause you to overeat, then it can be addressed a few ways: 1. Eliminate the substance (for ever or time being) or 2. moderation (fit small quantities in your calorie goal (~10% of total intake)).
Overall, calorie (regardless of source) will be a driver for obesity.0 -
OP I know your intentions are good but I think you are going to be disappointed with how this thread turns out. As the two very knowledgeable posters above me mentioned, sugar is not an addictive substance. Many people have trouble moderating their intake of sugary foods (baked goods, etc) but if the substance itself were addictive you would find people compulsively eating any substance with any type of sugar in it, this includes fructose in fruit, lactose in milk, and people would be eating table sugar straight from the bag.
That's not meant to diminish the need to limit the consumption of something you find difficulty moderating, or the challenges to find an acceptable way to control your intake (as psulemon mentioned, both moderation and elimination of substances you have difficulty controlling your intake of have merits).
Also, to reinforce, it is eating too many calories that causes obesity, not too much sugar.
Ok, I'm buckled in now, let's start the ride!0 -
One additional thing to delineate, the foods most commonly considered addictive are comprised of both carbs/sugars and fats. This makes them very hyperpalatable and is the reason, you generally don't see a similar response to fruit or veggies (albeit, I have seen a few people who where).0
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Do not omit fruit and veggies from your diet due to sugar content. Just cut down on added sugar in processed foods.0
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One additional thing to delineate, the foods most commonly considered addictive are comprised of both carbs/sugars and fats. This makes them very hyperpalatable and is the reason, you generally don't see a similar response to fruit or veggies (albeit, I have seen a few people who where).
This is a good point. I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe in my file, and the amount of sugar is less than an average apple. No one ever claims to be addicted to apples. And the dopamine response of humans to foods is as strong for fat as sugar, which is why the combination can be the most appealing (and it just means we like it, not actually that it's addictive).
The current nonsense about sugar is no different than the old "fat makes you fat" stuff, so some of us oldies are annoyed by it. Eating too much makes you fat.0 -
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Uh oh.0
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Sugar is not an addictive substance. See below study that refutes the premise of sugar addiction.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_K0l2elQLCjbW9zYTF5UktkSnM/view?usp=sharing0 -
Actually, the OP brings up a great point. There is very good research (peer reviewed journal articles, research conducted by renowned universities and research groups) showing that sugar activates the same reward pathways as other known addictive substances (e.g. smoking, cocaine, etc.). Evidence of neural changes to the dopamine and opiod receptors, somewhat analogous to what one might observe in individuals addicted to methamphetamine or cocaine.
What's also interesting is that many of these research papers go further and show that these effects are minimized or even not observed when the sugar is ingested via fruits and vegetables, and it is hypothesized that the inclusion of fiber along with the fructose/sucrose slows down or mitigates this response.
Ergo, your common sense should reinforce the general message: processed sugary treats - BAD! Fresh fruit and vegetables - GOOD.
It is worth noting that there are undoubtedly studies that show that sugar is not as addictive as some research would indicate. That's the wonderful thing about science - it's constantly evolving and never afraid to admit that it may have been wrong in the past, or that a commonly held hypothesis has been disproved.
Always best to keep an open mind.
Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
Examining the addictive-like properties of binge eating using an animal model of sugar dependence: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/15/5/481/
Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000698
Evidence That Intermittent, Excessive Sugar
Intake Causes Endogenous Opioid Dependence: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2002.66/pdf0 -
Please see this blog by a reputable obesity researcher for some facts about sugar intake and obesity prevalence:
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2015/11/carbohydrate-sugar-and-obesity-in.html
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Actually, the OP brings up a great point. There is very good research (peer reviewed journal articles, research conducted by renowned universities and research groups) showing that sugar activates the same reward pathways as other known addictive substances (e.g. smoking, cocaine, etc.). Evidence of neural changes to the dopamine and opiod receptors, somewhat analogous to what one might observe in individuals addicted to methamphetamine or cocaine.
Somewhat analogous =/= same addictive properties.
And as is always noted, the same responses are activated by petting puppies or stubbing your toe.What's also interesting is that many of these research papers go further and show that these effects are minimized or even not observed when the sugar is ingested via fruits and vegetables, and it is hypothesized that the inclusion of fiber along with the fructose/sucrose slows down or mitigates this response.
Which might be interesting and noteworthy IF people were eating raw sugar alone in massive quantities. But since sugar is almost always consumed along with or as a part of other ingredients, comparing the effects of raw sugar to the effects of raw sugar + 'other stuff' isn't really all that helpful.
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Sugar is a craving.....not an addiction. Two very different things. I crave sweets also. But using your model the only way to beat the "addiction" is to give up sugar forever. Reformed alcoholics don't drink just a little....they abstain completely....good luck with that.
Personally I would like to think that I can manage the amount of sugar I eat. Plenty of people who are at a healthy weight indulge in sugary treats.0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »Actually, the OP brings up a great point. There is very good research (peer reviewed journal articles, research conducted by renowned universities and research groups) showing that sugar activates the same reward pathways as other known addictive substances (e.g. smoking, cocaine, etc.). Evidence of neural changes to the dopamine and opiod receptors, somewhat analogous to what one might observe in individuals addicted to methamphetamine or cocaine.
Somewhat analogous =/= same addictive properties.
And as is always noted, the same responses are activated by petting puppies or stubbing your toe.What's also interesting is that many of these research papers go further and show that these effects are minimized or even not observed when the sugar is ingested via fruits and vegetables, and it is hypothesized that the inclusion of fiber along with the fructose/sucrose slows down or mitigates this response.
Which might be interesting and noteworthy IF people were eating raw sugar alone in massive quantities. But since sugar is almost always consumed along with or as a part of other ingredients, comparing the effects of raw sugar to the effects of raw sugar + 'other stuff' isn't really all that helpful.
Ah, all those nights I spent wandering the streets begging strangers to let me pet their puppies in exchange for "other" favours. :laugh:
OP, I do find that the more sugar I consume, the more I crave it. I suspect this has to do more with the palate and how foods taste. I have learned that I can enjoy a cookie or a serving of ice cream and walk away without any negative consequences. Having watched people go through alcohol withdrawal on several occasions, I can tell you that sugar does not have the same impact.
I also think that by labelling sugar as addictive, it takes away personal responsibility for what you choose to put in your mouth. It also provides you with an ongoing excuse to not take control over your choices. Over eating sweet foods is a choice.0 -
Actually, the OP brings up a great point. There is very good research (peer reviewed journal articles, research conducted by renowned universities and research groups) showing that sugar activates the same reward pathways as other known addictive substances (e.g. smoking, cocaine, etc.). Evidence of neural changes to the dopamine and opiod receptors, somewhat analogous to what one might observe in individuals addicted to methamphetamine or cocaine.
What's also interesting is that many of these research papers go further and show that these effects are minimized or even not observed when the sugar is ingested via fruits and vegetables, and it is hypothesized that the inclusion of fiber along with the fructose/sucrose slows down or mitigates this response.
Ergo, your common sense should reinforce the general message: processed sugary treats - BAD! Fresh fruit and vegetables - GOOD.
It is worth noting that there are undoubtedly studies that show that sugar is not as addictive as some research would indicate. That's the wonderful thing about science - it's constantly evolving and never afraid to admit that it may have been wrong in the past, or that a commonly held hypothesis has been disproved.
Always best to keep an open mind.
Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
Examining the addictive-like properties of binge eating using an animal model of sugar dependence: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/15/5/481/
Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000698
Evidence That Intermittent, Excessive Sugar
Intake Causes Endogenous Opioid Dependence: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2002.66/pdf
Please provide studies that were done on humans. Numerous problems have been identified with using animal trials for sugar addiction study. The number one issue identified is that the animals become trained to go to sugary chow first, because of the study design. So the "addictive behavior" that they exhibit as actually a learned one, that is caused by the actual study itself.
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Sugar is not addiction!!!
You just need to learn self control or eliminate the foods that you crave so much.0 -
Laugh. Pretty sure the OP posted this as an interesting topic for discussion, and I just added some additional food for thought. Pardon the pun. At no point did I posit that what I was saying was infallible, nor that water-tight conclusions could be drawn from any of the research - on either side. In fact, I believe I even acknowledged that there is evidence to the contrary.
If you think that I'm going to sit here with you lot all day and defend every sentence blow-by-blow you have another thought coming.
What I can tell you for certain is that I know that I am personally not at the leading edge in this field of research nor a qualified expert in the area, therefore my mind is always open to new information.0 -
Sugar and sweet things are addiction like for me. I cannot moderate them, I tend to end up eating more than I need or intended if I have a small amount. Because of that, I do treat sugar like an addiction and avoid it as much as possible. I tend to keep my sugars well under 10g per day, often around 3g-5g.
Keeping sugars as close to nothing as possible works well for me. My cravings are basically gone when I eat almost no sugars and very low carb. It makes eating an appropriate amount very very easy. It is almost as though I removed willpower from the equation. If I don't eat sugar, I don't need to use willpower. It is almost easy now.
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why do people always want to be so powerless? it's like they yearn to be victims.
lacking self control is not an addiction....it's lacking self control. bunch of victims...0 -
People like to misuse the word addiction. But no, it's not addictive. You experience cravings, but not in the way an addict craves a cigarette, or a drink, or another drug. People don't rob stores or prostitute their bodies to support their sugar addiction. No one is going to jail for possession of donuts.
In all seriousness, excessive ADDED sugar is part of an unhealthy lifestyle, but you can't avoid sugar altogether. It's a naturally occuring part of food. Overeating ANYTHING, even strawberries or sweet potatoes, is going to cause weight gain.0 -
Nope, sugar is not addictive.
Sugar is not the cause of obesity, overeating is the cause of obesity. High calorie foods makes it easy to overeat, but is not the cause.0 -
Laugh. Pretty sure the OP posted this as an interesting topic for discussion, and I just added some additional food for thought. Pardon the pun. At no point did I posit that what I was saying was infallible, nor that water-tight conclusions could be drawn from any of the research - on either side. In fact, I believe I even acknowledged that there is evidence to the contrary.
If you think that I'm going to sit here with you lot all day and defend every sentence blow-by-blow you have another thought coming.
What I can tell you for certain is that I know that I am personally not at the leading edge in this field of research nor a qualified expert in the area, therefore my mind is always open to new information.
Then consider the follow ups to your post 'new information'
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My wife used to say she was addicted to sugar. "Keep those cookies away from me. I can't stop once I have one. No chocolate for me" she'd say. Finally I had enough one day and decided to show her some tough love. I took her to a bad part of town and found a crackhouse. I pointed out one of the junkies leaving the house. I said, "Look at that. Get a good look. Why can't you be that skinny?" I think she learned her lesson. I dunno. YMMV.0
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Laugh. Pretty sure the OP posted this as an interesting topic for discussion, and I just added some additional food for thought. Pardon the pun. At no point did I posit that what I was saying was infallible, nor that water-tight conclusions could be drawn from any of the research - on either side. In fact, I believe I even acknowledged that there is evidence to the contrary.
If you think that I'm going to sit here with you lot all day and defend every sentence blow-by-blow you have another thought coming.
What I can tell you for certain is that I know that I am personally not at the leading edge in this field of research nor a qualified expert in the area, therefore my mind is always open to new information.
Then read this, which is a research review:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763414002140
Pertinent bit:Apart from a single case study (Thornley and McRobbie, 2009), addiction-related behaviors in sugar consumption (such as tolerance and a withdrawal syndrome) have not been observed in humans (Benton, 2010). Instead, most observational and mechanistic evidence for addiction to sugar comes from rat models pioneered in Bart Hoebel's laboratory (Avena et al., 2008). A variety of subtly different approaches have been taken, but most studies involve examining feeding behavior during intermittent access to palatable sugar solutions. For example, repeated 12 h food deprivation followed by 12 h intermittent access to normal food and a sugar solution leads to sugar “binging” (defined operationally as an increased intake compared to rats offered unrestricted access over the same time period). Furthermore, there is evidence that endogenous opioid signaling is active during sugar (but not fat; Bocarsly et al., 2011) binging, as i.p. administration of the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone, results in somatic effects reminiscent of a wihdrawal syndrome (Colantuoni et al., 2002). It was suggested that sugar recruits endogenous opioid pathways, with consequences analogous to those that follow consumption of drugs of abuse. However, these data do not imply that these pathways are being activated by a substance. Certain behaviors can also recruit endogenous opioid systems. For example, rats subjected to food restriction and given 1hr/day access to a running wheel show a withdrawal syndrome on naloxone administration, whereas much weaker withdrawal-like behaviors were seen in food-restricted or pair-fed rats not given access to a running wheel ( Kanarek et al., 2009). The underlying endocrine mechanisms relevant in this model which has been used to explain the hyperactivity of patients with acute anorexia nervosa go well beyond the opioid system and include an activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis induced via hypoleptinemia (Hebebrand et al., 2003); adrenalectomy (Duclos et al., 2009) or exogenous application of leptin (Exner et al., 2000) prevents the development of hyperactivity upon food restriction. This complex model indicates that the combination of an environmental effect (running wheel) with a specific temporal pattern of food restriction entails both a specific behavior (hyperactivity) and profound neuroendocrine alterations that include the engagement of the endogenous opioid system in a manner analogous to opiate drugs of abuse. Thus, under specific conditions addictive-like responses may be attributed not just to substances but also to behaviors. Alternatively, a behavior may become addictive because of the system(s) it activates. In the context of sugar addiction, a behavioral addiction rather than an addiction to a substance also warrants consideration as an explanation for the observations made in the respective experiments.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »why do people always want to be so powerless? it's like they yearn to be victims.
lacking self control is not an addiction....it's lacking self control. bunch of victims...
I disagree that people who post that sugar has an addiction (like) affect on them are claiming to be powerless or are victims. I think they are looking for information or support on how to deal with it so they can improve. It may be true that others want to be victims but I doubt if that is true for the people around here who are trying to change.
For me, it was more than just lacking self control. I could skip the alcohol, cheese, nuts or whatever but going without sugars had different effect on me. I don't consider myself a victim because of it. I just think it took me longer to figure out how to beat it. It may have been more of a challenge for me than the average Joe who can eat a small hand full of candy and then put the family sized bag away to be forgotten for weeks.
I believe that people react differently to different foods. Sugar may be a problem for some but not others.0 -
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I met a woman once who told me she had a serious addiction to sugar. I said to her, " Me too, whenever I buy a package of cookies, I pretty much eat the whole package at one sitting. Nothing else effects me the way sugwry foods do!"
She said, "No, I mean I take the sugar bowl up to my room with a spoon and lock the door, eat sugar until I feel like I'll pop and pass out."
I'm not joking here.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »why do people always want to be so powerless? it's like they yearn to be victims.
lacking self control is not an addiction....it's lacking self control. bunch of victims...
I disagree that people who post that sugar has an addiction (like) affect on them are claiming to be powerless or are victims. I think they are looking for information or support on how to deal with it so they can improve. It may be true that others want to be victims but I doubt if that is true for the people around here who are trying to change.
For me, it was more than just lacking self control. I could skip the alcohol, cheese, nuts or whatever but going without sugars had different effect on me. I don't consider myself a victim because of it. I just think it took me longer to figure out how to beat it. It may have been more of a challenge for me than the average Joe who can eat a small hand full of candy and then put the family sized bag away to be forgotten for weeks.
I believe that people react differently to different foods. Sugar may be a problem for some but not others.
as sugar has never been shown to be addictive, it appears that you are using to sugar to mask a different problem.
According to the literature, most people that believe they have a sugar or food addiction are masking some kind of behavioral issue.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »why do people always want to be so powerless? it's like they yearn to be victims.
lacking self control is not an addiction....it's lacking self control. bunch of victims...
I disagree that people who post that sugar has an addiction (like) affect on them are claiming to be powerless or are victims. I think they are looking for information or support on how to deal with it so they can improve. It may be true that others want to be victims but I doubt if that is true for the people around here who are trying to change.
For me, it was more than just lacking self control. I could skip the alcohol, cheese, nuts or whatever but going without sugars had different effect on me. I don't consider myself a victim because of it. I just think it took me longer to figure out how to beat it. It may have been more of a challenge for me than the average Joe who can eat a small hand full of candy and then put the family sized bag away to be forgotten for weeks.
I believe that people react differently to different foods. Sugar may be a problem for some but not others.
as sugar has never been shown to be addictive, it appears that you are using to sugar to mask a different problem.
According to the literature, most people that believe they have a sugar or food addiction are masking some kind of behavioral issue.
I realize this is true of research at the moment but it seems odd that the behavioral issue resolved itself within days of changing my diet to a low sugar, LCHF diet, and it hasn't come back in the last six months since I made the change.
I suppose it could be true that there was some behavioral change that happened to coincide exactly when I changed my diet, but I doubt it. Plus it is a common coincidence among those who have changed to a LCHF (and therefore low sugar) diet and stuck with it for (at least) a few months... It just doesn't ring true to me, although it could be possible.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »why do people always want to be so powerless? it's like they yearn to be victims.
lacking self control is not an addiction....it's lacking self control. bunch of victims...
I disagree that people who post that sugar has an addiction (like) affect on them are claiming to be powerless or are victims. I think they are looking for information or support on how to deal with it so they can improve. It may be true that others want to be victims but I doubt if that is true for the people around here who are trying to change.
For me, it was more than just lacking self control. I could skip the alcohol, cheese, nuts or whatever but going without sugars had different effect on me. I don't consider myself a victim because of it. I just think it took me longer to figure out how to beat it. It may have been more of a challenge for me than the average Joe who can eat a small hand full of candy and then put the family sized bag away to be forgotten for weeks.
I believe that people react differently to different foods. Sugar may be a problem for some but not others.
as sugar has never been shown to be addictive, it appears that you are using to sugar to mask a different problem.
According to the literature, most people that believe they have a sugar or food addiction are masking some kind of behavioral issue.
I realize this is true of research at the moment but it seems odd that the behavioral issue resolved itself within days of changing my diet to a low sugar, LCHF diet, and it hasn't come back in the last six months since I made the change.
I suppose it could be true that there was some behavioral change that happened to coincide exactly when I changed my diet, but I doubt it. Plus it is a common coincidence among those who have changed to a LCHF (and therefore low sugar) diet and stuck with it for (at least) a few months... It just doesn't ring true to me, although it could be possible.
Come back when you've maintained your weight and your WOE after the honeymoon period is over.
And I say that without snark.
Issues with food are complex, and it can often take time to truly tell the tale.
My tale of "sugar addiction" contained a sustained journey on the low carb, no sugar path.
Eventually, my behavioral issues with food manifested themselves while I was engaging in that WOE, but that took a few years to happen.0
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