For years researchers have balked at the idea that people could become addicted to sugar like they become addicted to drugs. The more research that’s done though seems to point to a definite link between sugar and addictive drugs. The link is what both substances do to the brain in regards to cravings. Studies focusing on certain brain chemicals have come up with some results that suggest sugar can become addicting and result in eating disorders. In the article, Sugar Addiction, when sugar was withheld from rats being given the substance on a regular basis, the rats showed definite signs of withdrawal. When given the option to administer sugar to themselves, the rats gradually increased their dosage to double the initial consumption. They say it all has to do with how the sugar reacts with these brain chemicals called, opioids.
I guess I’ve always believed that, like caffeine, sugar is addicting too (at least for me). Just knowing that every afternoon when I’d arrive at work in High School I had a craving for a donut and chocolate milk should be plenty of evidence. On the weekends when not at work I’d have terrible headaches when that sugar fix wasn’t met every afternoon. As an adult I’ve experienced more extreme withdrawal symptoms when attempting to eliminate sugar from my diet. Sweating, shaking, headaches, mood swings…..it’s an amusement park ride of physical and emotional chaos. I would guess this is true for a great many Americans who find themselves overweight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s “out of their control” completely, I believe everyone has the ability to reverse any addiction. What I am saying is that it could be more chemical than some may realize.
If it is chemical and not just emotional or habitual, then perhaps we’ve been going about this whole weight loss game all wrong. Sure, we need to face our bad habits and replace them with good habits. And we need to face the emotional connections to food that probably brought us to that half gallon of Blue Bell eating binge in the first place. But if our habits and emotions have led us down the slippery slope to a chemical addiction to sugar (or any other substance), then while treating the psychological side, we also need to be treating the chemical dependency properly. Otherwise, imagine the cycle that’s created for people who want to change and feel powerless to do so once they hit withdrawals. They’re told “it’s all in your head”, and while that may be partly true (afterall, the chemicals we’re discussing are in the brain), they feel like failures because they aren’t winning the “mind over matter” battle.
Now that I’ve been off caffeine for almost nine days I am even more convinced I was addicted. Going off of it has reduced the craving for it and I suspect the same will be true with sugar. There are moments when I crave a cup of coffee or a diet soda but I am able to resist easier because I’m no longer fighting a chemical dependency, I’m only fighting an emotional or habitual tendency. There is a world of difference in my opinion. One is far more physically painful to overcome than the other. This isn't to take any creedance from emotional trauma. That is very real, very serious and while painful in a different way than addiction withdrawals, painful nonetheless.