Sugar addiction...where do I start...

highervibes

I just looked it up... looks like it has to do with endorphins and opioid receptors in the brain. Not sure if sugar does this but I have heard that other foods do (like gluten containing foods) so I am still left wondering why it can't also be considered addictive? Seems like it is starting to be considered. I guess what I am trying to say is that just because it's not common knowledge it doesn't mean it's not so.

notenoughspeed

Just keep it out of the house, don't buy junk food. Buy healthier choices. Buy fresh fruits. If you want a treat, buy something small, have it, then get back to eating healthier stuff.

GlassslippersAndFairyDust

I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

H

When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight

Pompous much?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?

Really, that's all you've got?? Did you bother reading them? And FYI, scientists have been using rats/mice for years with amazing results. Some of the research was done on humans and there are several studies in particular that showed the brain reacted the same to heroin as it did sugar, they produced the same endorphins so the brain did not differentiate between the two. I'm guessing by your statement; "When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight," that you have an issue with overweight people. I'm guessing you have the mentality that believes if we just put the doughnut down, all would be right with the world. In your closed mind, I'm guessing you have never entertained the possibility that you could be wrong, that maybe, just maybe some people are actually addicted to the endorphins that sugar produces in the brain, just like a heroin addict is. I've been battling sugar addiction for years and I am an expert with MY body/mind. I know what sugar does to me when I have it and what it does to me when I'm withdrawing from it. Just because you don't seem to suffer from this addiction doesn't mean it isn't real. I'm not an alcoholic but I realize that some people have a real addiction to it. I realize that even though people like you always want "proof," which I provided, it will never be enough proof for you. So go back to your fantasy world where the only opinion that counts it yours and I will remain happily in reality. :flowerforyou:

I did in fact read the links you posted, hyman is a joke and fearmongerer, Dr LOLstig was featured int eh NY daily news article and you had 2 on animal studies. You are correct we do often use animal studies to research things, but as you know not everything that works in animals works the same way in humans. For instance, the one actual paper you linked to, they repeatledly make reference to rats that were deprived of food for 12 hrs, now how might that correspond to humans? If looking at other research on rats and mice, it is prob anywhere between 3-5 days of complete fasting. Hmmm how often are humans engaged in that sort of behavior? Also other studies on intermittent caloric restriction in rats and mice show they also binge on whatever food source they are given, not just sugar.

Did you really just try and compare alcoholism to "sugar addiction"? Checks the DSM and the NIH or both terms, wonder which term came back with 0 hits

So where was this proof that you offered of sugar addiction in humans?

If you are using yourself as an example, what Important social, occupational, or recreational activities have been given up or reduced because of eating sugar and how much time is spent on activities necessary to obtain, to use, or to recover from the effects of sugar?

Like I said, I've already offered you proof but you refuse to accept it. And yes, I did just compare alcoholism to sugar or any addiction. And I quote......."An addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response." Even if the brain scans had not already proven that sugar can be a real addiction, just the mere definition of an addict alone would "prove" to me that I qualify as a sugar addict.

As far as "what Important social, occupational, or recreational activities have been given up or reduced because of eating sugar." First of all, define "Important." Who decides what is important in another's life? Do you get to decide that? Not in my life you don't. As far as you asking these questions in comparison to an alcoholic, I would ask the same questions of you. I've spent my entire life surrounded by addicts of all kinds and most of them were able to function in social, occupational and recreational activities, depending on the degree of their addiction. As far as " time is spent on activities necessary to obtain, to use, or to recover from the effects of sugar?" I don't "clock" my time but I can assure you it is vast.

Now, where is YOUR proof that sugar addiction is not real? You can't possibly prove that it isn't because it has already been proven to be real (brain scans don't lie and neither does withdrawal). And I am more than qualified to use myself as an example of what sugar addiction is, what negative effects in can have in your life, what it's like battling it and what it's like searching for a real answer to keep the addiction at bay and I say at bay because just like any other addiction, I can go through withdrawal and eliminate it from my life only to relapse and start the cycle all over again.

In conclusion, you can try to argue your opinion and it is just that, "your opinion," ("I did in fact read the links you posted, hyman is a joke and fearmongerer"......also your opinion), which you have yet to back up with anything other than your opinion, until you literally turn blue in the face, but I live with this addiction and have for a long time so there is absolutely nothing you can say to me that will matter. If you spent less time trying to argue your "opinion" for the sake of argument and more time doing research on the subject of addiction, then maybe you wouldn't make remarks like "When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight." Have a great weekend. I won't be responding to anymore of your little "prove" it sessions. I have a life and better things to do with my time. Ciao! :yawn:

RobynLB83

Fellow sugar junkie. I have found the only thing to do is go cold turkey. I've been sucking on hard candies though. Jolly ranchers because you can't chomp on them... to take the edge off. Hoping to get completely off the candy soon.

RobynLB83

Have other people noticed withdrawal type symptoms when eliminating sugar? I thought I was imagining things when I cut sugar out of my diet completely, suffered horrible mood swings starting the next day, and went into a three month depression that ended in a month of sugar binging (never had that problem before) and a 3lb weight gain.

vmckinzey

I was battling with severe sugar cravings for the last year or so. But since I started drinking green smoothies every morning the cravings have pretty much stopped. I usually make them with spinach or kale, fruit and water or unsweetened almond vanilla milk. They are delicious and nutritious and I haven't felt the need to reach for sugary sweets.

estherlion

I've been on MFP since the end of March and am trying slow changes. I LOVE sweets, so now I focus on chocolate protein bars, low carb chocolate protein shakes, and sugar free pudding. I know this isn't "clean eating" but it's better than what I use to eat on a daily basis as a sugar addict. I'm proud to say that I've had the will power to pass on cake for two birthdays this week. Before, I would have skipped the salty food to save for the sweets. I've learned that sugar is my enemy, and I need to find self-control. The extra sweets via protein bars and shakes have kept the cravings at bay.

aloranger7708

I'm obsessed with sweets, as well.

The obvious answer: stop buying sugary foods and throw away/donate the ones in your pantry now.

What I do: Buy dark chocolate chips, melt them, and dip in strawberries. 1 tbsp of the chocolate chips goes a longgg way. Also, you could set aside a day, say Saturday, where you allow yourself treats. Bake a really decadent, rich chocolate cake and eat it. On Sunday, throw the rest out if you haven't finished it or give it to someone.

RobynLB83

Protein bars are just candy with vitamins and protein added. Substituting one sweet for another is not eliminating sugar...

estherlion

Well the protein bars I get are Adkins and say 0 to 1 gram of sugar. Am I missing something? Plus I notice protein helps curb the cravings.

RobynLB83

Well the protein bars I get are Adkins and say 0 to 1 gram of sugar. Am I missing something? Plus I notice protein helps curb the cravings.

Those low carb protein bars aren't even food. They are chemistry experiments. Telling someone to replace one unhealthy habit with another unhealthy habit doesn't make sense to me.

estherlion

Well at the end of the day a Adkins protein bar is still zero sugar grams and has some protein which is better for you than a candy bar. Some of us need to take small steps in the right direction to better eating. It is too drastic for a sugar addict that has been eating bad for years to go to organic "clean eating" cold turkey nothing sweet. That leads to binges. Just saying it has worked for me and I know that at some point I'll have to move to the next/better step which is not needing to have sweets at all.

You_Can_Be

Hi,
I came to the conclusion about 15 years ago because I literally could not stop myself from binging on sugar. I ate a very and I mean very healthy diet bar the sugar binges. I managed to stop sugar altogether for about 6 years and felt great. then I had a little and a little more and a little more. I have been sugar binging again now for the past 7 years. I keep trying to stop and I can't.

It has got to the stage now when I sugar binge and I don't mean huge quantities but large say one 100 gram bag of fudge or a 100 grams chocolate, that I feel severely ill once I have eaten it. headache, pains in my chest, aching joints, I can't see properly, my brain doesn't work. I have to lie down and go to sleep because I cannot function. Yesterday I bought some fudge as a "treat" (hah) for me and my 9 year old daughter I ate most of it she only had a couple of bits and 5 minutes later I had to cancel our afternoons activities (we are on holiday), turn on the TV (we never watch TV) and I fell asleep whilst she watched a film.

The rest of the time I eat a healthy wholefood diet. That is sugar addiction! I cannot prevent myself from buying it when I see it. I cannot stop myself from eating it when it is there REALLY!.

When I stopped eating sugar last time I stopped all carbs too for a long time until I had gone though the withdrawal I was able to eat some whole carbs after a few months but if I ate too much the cravings came back.

Yesterday gave me a shock. I ruined my daughters day because I made myself ill. Just like an alcoholic. I am a sugarholic. I go cold turkey from today I will no longer ruin my health and I will no longer ruin my daughters life because I make myself ill.Any support would be welcome.

FunkyTobias

I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

H

When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight

Pompous much?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?

hhhmmm. The article I read, http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419, was research based on human brain scans...not rats. I think a brain scan is a pretty viable research tool.

LOL

Please point to the original study. This is merely tertiary parroting or LOLstig's nonsensical alarmism.

ONOEZ sugar triggers dopamine. Guess what, so does exercise (or just about anything pleasurable for that matter).

FunkyTobias

Proof of sugar addiction: