What Causes Strong Sugar Cravings?

graelwyn
graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
edited December 17 in Health and Weight Loss
I mean, some people seem to be able to live with or without sugary foods, and just have the occasional treat.
While others, like myself, get intense cravings and once started with a sweet food, cannot stop.
Is it all down to emotional stuff, or can it also be down to a missing nutritional component in the diet?
I have noticed a lot of people on here have issues with cake, cookies, chocolate, and not being able to keep it in the home, as once they eat a little, they find they cannot stop there. It is an awful feeling.

So what does causes such intense cravings that can lead to binge eating and worse?
And is the only way to deal with it, to simply ban all refined sugar for life?
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Replies

  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    I'd be curious about this as well. Someone did post once that a craving could be a sign of being deficient in _______________. Can't remember what or where I saw it...kinda thought it was BS at the time...but I could be wrong. And I'm really struggling with this myself.
  • bettymiller49
    bettymiller49 Posts: 1
    I went through a weight loss program called Prism, and they said that sugar is addictive. I have to tell you that I do believe it is as we had to cut all sugar from our diets and I felt like I was having withdrawals. I am not an expert, but for me I have to leave it alone completely.
  • cbh142
    cbh142 Posts: 270 Member
    I once heard a theory that if you consume a lot of artifical sweetners it makes you crave real sugar. I'd like to see other respones also.
  • kimmydear
    kimmydear Posts: 298 Member
    I recently replaced my sugary coffee creamer with the sugar free kind and even though I don't like the taste as much, I am craving less sugar the rest of the day. Maybe it's coincidental...I don't know...but I imagine that sugar blast first thing in the morning for me actually makes me crave it more all day.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    I once heard a theory that if you consume a lot of artifical sweetners it makes you crave real sugar. I'd like to see other respones also.

    Weird...It has been much worse in the last month or so...I also switched to Stevia and started drinking fair amounts of vitamin water zero and an occasional coke zero as well around that time.

    There could be something to that...
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    It tasting good.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    I once heard a theory that if you consume a lot of artifical sweetners it makes you crave real sugar. I'd like to see other respones also.

    I have been wondering about this lately, as I tended to use a lot of sweeteners in my drinks, mainly saccarin and splenda. I looked into Stevia in hopes it might be a healthier alternative, but I am not sure it is. I find it very hard to have a tea or coffee, or my hot chocolate, with no sweetener in it at all. But I do think sometimes that having a sweet drink, can bring about cravings for more.
  • crazyjkgirl
    crazyjkgirl Posts: 123 Member
    There have been studies done that prove that sugar can be addicting. It is really interesting to look at. In certain individuals, processed sugar creates a brain response somewhat similar to cocaine. I know for a fact that I have to be extremely careful with sugar.
  • QuintinV
    QuintinV Posts: 28
    I once heard a theory that if you consume a lot of artifical sweetners it makes you crave real sugar. I'd like to see other respones also.

    Weird...It has been much worse in the last month or so...I also switched to Stevia and started drinking fair amounts of vitamin water zero and an occasional coke zero as well around that time.

    There could be something to that...

    I love my coke zero and I also use sweetner in my coffee - for me I tend to crave real sugar more when I don't have my coffee during the day, and not even in copious amounts...which leads me to believe that the sweetner is not causing sugar cravings at all.
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
    It's probably different for everyone, but for me, sugar causes more sugar cravings. I've pretty much cut out added sugars, and I don't crave them anymore. Sugar has been proven to be addictive, actually.
  • yellow10403
    yellow10403 Posts: 2
    Watch this lecture on high fructose corn syrup

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM&ob=av3e

    it really helped me with curbing my sugar intake because instead of reaching for cookies, cakes or brownies, i reach for bananas, watermelon, strawberries, or apples.

    Your body only metabolizes glucose for energy. Fructose (especially high fructose corn syrup) needs the help of your liver to break it down when fructose is absorbed. The reason why eating fruit is important to substitute for cakes, cookies, and brownies is the fiber in it. Insoluble fiber limits the absorption of sugar in your small intestines.

    summary: eat fruits instead of high sugared desserts.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Eating sugar causes stronger sugar cravings. The more you eat, the more you want! I'm the exact same way. I have to totally eliminate it from my diet for 2-3 weeks before I get the cravings under control. Then I get my period and eat sweets again. Ugh!

    My doctor tells me eating more protein helps keep the cravings at bay. I'm not sure if it is totally true, but if I can stay away, the easier it gets to keep away. And I stay full a lot longer with the high protein so I don't crave any food as much.
  • emandel2
    emandel2 Posts: 1
    I have been watching what I eat since January 1, 2012 and I have lost a little over 30lbs. This past weekend was Easter an lets say I "fell" off the wagon and hit the ground really hard. It was like I could not help myself. I ate chocolate and junk all weekend. I am back on the program today and back to the gym tonight. I actually feel terrible, disappointed in myself and have no energy.

    I would be curious about this too.
  • ag0n
    ag0n Posts: 4
    Excess insulin causes sugar cravings. High glycemic index (GI) foods spike your insulin levels causing more insulin to be produced faster by your body which in turn makes your body crave more sugar to use up the insulin that was created. Essentially it's a vicious cycle.

    Eating slower digesting (low GI) complex carbohydrate sources won't spike your insulin nearly as much, especially when eaten with protein rich foods. Which can help reduce your "sugar" cravings.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    In my case it was an addiction that was started very early on. I visited my dad and his family when I was a toddler and according to my mom they fed me nothing but sweets. I probably associated the candy and whatever other sweets they fed me with the happiness of being with them. Since being with my mom was less than happy I loved whatever sweets I got because they reminded me of the happy side of my family.

    Last year I finally broke my sugar addiction by extending the amount of time I waited to eat a piece of chocolate. By the end of the first week I was waiting until after dinner without feeling cravings for sugar during the day. By that point I realized I was capable of making it through the day without candy and I was cured. I can have candy, cookies, or whatever in the house and not feel compelled to eat them.
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
    Magnesium deficiency. Take a magnesium supplement and see if the cravings go away. It worked pretty quickly for me once, and I told my mom and it worked quickly for her, too. Especially if it's a chocolate craving.
  • mslindsay
    mslindsay Posts: 93 Member
    I am craving Ice cream right now =( damn sugar addiction
  • ThisisMiss
    ThisisMiss Posts: 187 Member
    I know women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) crave sugars a lot - mostly in the form of carbs due to their insulin resistance.
  • cyncetastic
    cyncetastic Posts: 165
    Here's a break down of "if you're craving X, what you really need is Y..."

    http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php
  • TeenaMarina
    TeenaMarina Posts: 420 Member
    bonk.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    Magnesium deficiency. Take a magnesium supplement and see if the cravings go away. It worked pretty quickly for me once, and I told my mom and it worked quickly for her, too. Especially if it's a chocolate craving.

    CAUTION with this: too many of these and you'll be logging the EXERCISE- the sprints to the bathroom... excess magnesium also stimulates the bowels.

    Cashews, Almonds, Peanuts are HIGH in magnesium, as legumes & veggies such as corn, broccoli and peas.
    fruits- dates, raisins, bananas

    [And NO....chocolate covered peanuts and raisins are NOT a good idea]


    Best thing to do after a binge- is DETOX. Like what you'd do to prepare for a colonoscopy......

    and taking a cinnamon supplement is helpful.

    My *binges* are sometimes physiological, other times emotional...so, during the latter,
    I inflict the pain on myself instead of taking it out on someone else.
  • Gwoman2012
    Gwoman2012 Posts: 163 Member
    For me it's emotional. I get strong sugar/fat cravings when I am overtired or pissed/upset about something.

    The only thing that has helped me with cravings in the past was completely cutting it out for a couple weeks and then gradually allowing it back in my diet. Unfortunately I don't have the willpower for that right now!
  • luvsherhubby
    luvsherhubby Posts: 135 Member
    I once heard a theory that if you consume a lot of artifical sweetners it makes you crave real sugar. I'd like to see other respones also.

    Weird...It has been much worse in the last month or so...I also switched to Stevia and started drinking fair amounts of vitamin water zero and an occasional coke zero as well around that time.

    There could be something to that...

    stevia is not an artifucial sweetner.. the other junk like aspartame suclarose are and are in 99.9% of diet drinks
  • Ellapop
    Ellapop Posts: 1
    I have recently been introduced to GYMNEMA SYLVETRIS.

    Amazingly it eliminates the taste of sugar. The logic here is if you don't get the fun feeling that sugars give
    you might cut down.

    It's a Ayurvedic staple that has been used for thousands of years.

    The fun thing about sweet food is that it's natures way of letting you know what foods are good to eat.
    The only problem is that corn syrup rules the cheap food market.

    Stevia is the only real choice, if you want to add a sweet touch to your food. It is a leaf from Peru??

    Chemicals ie. equal,saccarin etc. are really not good for you.
    The fellow who invented one of them was designing a insect poison and asked his assistant to test some .
    He thought he said taste some . and the rest is history.
    I just can't eat anymore of that stuff without that image .
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    I'm like you, i have to stay away from it because a little will trigger me to want more :(
  • LisaDunn01
    LisaDunn01 Posts: 173 Member
    While sugar IS addictive, it is also true that when the body is "out of balance", you'll have cravings. What I mean by "out of balance" is that the body is missing some important nutrient it needs (vitamin or mineral) to do its job. Also, when the body has an immune challenge of some sort (fungus or parasites), you'll crave sugar. To get off the white stuff, you need to have things that you can eat that'll replace it. For example, I used to be a "chocoholic". I went from Hershey's to a sugar-free chocolate. There are some fantastic ones that you can order at www.ycchocolate.com. I also found a recipe for black bean brownies that are absolutely AWESOME! You would NEVER guess they were made out of black beans (which supply great protein and fiber) and, that they are not made with sugar! The biggest thing that worked for me was to institute green smoothies into my diet daily. They are nutrient dense and sweet so it really feeds the body with some excellent vitamins and minerals the body needs and reduces cravings. My favorite green smoothie is as follows: 10 oz. water, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/2 orange, 1 1/2 handfuls of spinach, 1/3 bunch of parsley, 1/8 c. fresh basil. Blend and drink - sounds like a weird combo but it is absolutely AWESOME! Everyone who has tried this has loved it!
  • peace_pigeon
    peace_pigeon Posts: 120 Member
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-foster/no-sugar-diet_b_1397439.html

    I just read this today. Super interesting! Rick stoped eating sugar for a year (except for once, with interesting results) and what happed was fairly dramatic. I am seriously considering it. After all of the Easter candy is gone, of course. :embarassed: :laugh:
  • watboy
    watboy Posts: 380 Member
    Sugar
  • trababes1971
    trababes1971 Posts: 173 Member
    Magnesium deficiency. Take a magnesium supplement and see if the cravings go away. It worked pretty quickly for me once, and I told my mom and it worked quickly for her, too. Especially if it's a chocolate craving.

    Oooh i will have to try that as i crave sugary stuff. xx
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
    Time of month always makes me crave sugar.
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