Sugar Addiction
Replies
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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 -
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.
I posted that caveat for the benefit of others and for any lurkers that are reviewing this thread.
ETA - by behavioral I also mean psychological, so it could be that your belief that sugar was culprit then turned into a self fulfilling prophecy when you limited it and began to feel better.
Absent a medical condition, sugar is safe and can be part of an overall healthy diet.
Perhaps, you had some undiagnosed medical condition...
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From a trigger food or "addictive" standpoint, it was never sweets for me... when I crave food it's always a handful of foods: 1. Steak, 2. Wings 3. Tortilla chips with salsa/guac 4. Steak 5. Bacon and 6 Steak wrapped in Bacon!!!!0
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From a trigger food or "addictive" standpoint, it was never sweets for me... when I crave food it's always a handful of foods: 1. Steak, 2. Wings 3. Tortilla chips with salsa/guac 4. Steak 5. Bacon and 6 Steak wrapped in Bacon!!!!
Pizza...always will be pizza for me.
Chips & a good home-made, heavy cilantro'd Salsa is my #20 -
_dracarys_ wrote: »
there is also the fact that cashews contain carbs, which would be sugar....so not sure how you treat a sugar addiction with more sugar...0 -
It used to be thought that dopamine was the reward hormone but it turns out it is the anticipation hormone. Dopamine levels rise before the reward is released.
Dopamine levels rise in anticipation of many rewards including addictive substances and sugar. It does not follow that sugar is addictive.
http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1340629/Could_Dopamine_be_the_Most_Evil_Chemical_in_the_World.html0 -
Sounds dreadfully unmotivating.
Demotivating, actually.
The only thing worse than an insincere thread inquiring into sugar, is a military-style regimented attack on the subject.0 -
From a trigger food or "addictive" standpoint, it was never sweets for me... when I crave food it's always a handful of foods: 1. Steak, 2. Wings 3. Tortilla chips with salsa/guac 4. Steak 5. Bacon and 6 Steak wrapped in Bacon!!!!
For my husband its chips for me its the baked goods. I just know it helps me to stay in line with my food plan if I illiminate all those sugary foods. Really I'm just a lot healthier eating a variety of veg, fruit, slow carbs and a good amount of protien.
Sugar seems to throw me off, same with caffiene I dont mind going without those things, it just means I focus on other priorities where eating is concerned.
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From a trigger food or "addictive" standpoint, it was never sweets for me... when I crave food it's always a handful of foods: 1. Steak, 2. Wings 3. Tortilla chips with salsa/guac 4. Steak 5. Bacon and 6 Steak wrapped in Bacon!!!!
For my husband its chips for me its the baked goods. I just know it helps me to stay in line with my food plan if I illiminate all those sugary foods. Really I'm just a lot healthier eating a variety of veg, fruit, slow carbs and a good amount of protien.
Sugar seems to throw me off, same with caffiene I dont mind going without those things, it just means I focus on other priorities where eating is concerned.
I believe men tend to like salty items more often and women tend to like sweet things. But that is more personal perception than fact.
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When is MFP going to drop this charade and just list "Subtle Click Bait Thread Starter" in the Jobs section.0
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