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Addicted to sugar DEBATE
Replies
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From_Within_ wrote: »Sugar is addicting, and I am a sugar addict.
Straight sugar or sugar mixed with fat? Like an Almond Joy?5 -
maggibailey wrote: »My experience with addicts is that they are chasing the high, the altering of their mood and emotions. Not the taste of their drug of choice. The feeling of the whiskey hitting their stomach, the moment of euphoria when the heroine hits the blood stream. Makes sense to me that people who are “addicted” to sugar may be experiencing some of those same key things on an emotional level. The mood altering effects the escape. Most people I know get into addictions because they blunt some uncomfortable part of reality. We all know food can be used to blunt discomfort so why would that not become an addiction?
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lucerorojo wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Highly patatable and sugar are definitely two different categories, but if the cravings are specifically towards high sugar items, rather than greasy, salty, or just tasty, than the addiction is the sugar. I can easily eat myself sick with pixie sticks and sugar cubes, but though I absolutely love pizza, I'm not going to go out of my way to pigout on it, especially if I don't feel great.
Someone else may be addicted to the highly palatable, or high carb, or spicy or salty items. Just like someone can be addicted to heroin AND cocaine, but not necessarily Vicodine or alchohol. Another might be addicted to more than one category. In my case, it is the sugar.
To call it a sugar addiction because you eat too much candy but not too much fruit is like saying an alcoholic is addicted to beer but not whiskey. If the issue is sugar, you'd go for bananas as fast as you'd go for a twinkie because the substance is in both, just like alcohol is in both wine and whiskey.
Does your "addiction" cause you to overeat fruit or does fruit satisfy your cravings for sweets? If no to either question, you are not addicted to sugar. You just eat too much of the foods you like because you like them.
I'm not a scientist, so you can "woo" this if you want, but the difference between fruit and and refined/processed sweets, is the type of sugar and also that the fruit has fiber and other things in it to mediate the sugar use/transport in the body.
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From_Within_ wrote: »Sugar is addicting, and I am a sugar addict.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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From_Within_ wrote: »Sugar is addicting, and I am a sugar addict.
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From_Within_ wrote: »Sugar is addicting, and I am a sugar addict.
Nope.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20056521CONCLUSION:
There is no support from the human literature for the hypothesis that sucrose may be physically addictive or that addiction to sugar plays a role in eating disorders.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27372453CONCLUSION:
Given the lack of evidence supporting it, we argue against a premature incorporation of sugar addiction into the scientific literature and public policy recommendations.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28330706CONCLUSION:
The current findings indicate that sugary foods contribute minimally to 'food dependence' and increased risk of weight gain. Instead, they are consistent with the current scientific notion that food energy density, and the unique individual experience of eating, plays an important role in determining the reward value of food and promoting excessive energy intake.10 -
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I don't have anything terribly useful to add, but since I read this whole thread I'm just going to put in my two cents--
I personally don't think sugar is addictive, but if someone wants to treat it that way to help control overeating sweets I have no issue with it. I was personally having trouble moderating my sweet-tooth, and decided to eliminate as much added sugar as I comfortably could. It was much easier than I expected, which makes me think that if many people who say they are addicted to sugar start cutting it out, they will find they were never truly addicted in the first place. YMMV2 -
cmriverside wrote: »Well, but no one can eat enough fruit...and why would anyone be honest about it? On this forum you get shouted down.
I've been here long enough to not care, and I've seen enough people with similar stories who get shut down by the vocal few. Even some long-time high-count posters have given up on this debate because it's exhausting. I know what I know about my experience, but it's not easy to stand up for my personal truth when it is so against the MFP dogma. I'm on an addiction forum as well, and this story is very common over there - where it doesn't get poo-pooed.
Wonderful insight. And I've agreed with everything you've posted on this thread. Thanks for taking the time to share it all with us.12
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