Sugar (chemically known as sucrose), is the substance used to sweeten coffee, desserts, cakes and makes food in which it operates that are very pleasant to eat. In fact, we are so accustomed to the taste that there are few who can have a coffee without sweetening and spit and make funny faces. This is due to better accept genetically sweetness.
Sugar is addictive
Food companies know this very well and that is why there are numerous foods that they contain added sugar: soft drinks, juices, yogurts, dairy desserts, cakes, chocolates, pastries, breakfast cereals and even tomato sauce.
Faced with so many stimuli, the problem comes when in front of a tasty chocolate tray we can not take just one, but are falling one after another almost without realizing it. This massive sugar intake in our brain causes the stimulation of opioid receptones (drugs like heroin or cocaine also stimulates) and a large release ofdopamine , a hormone responsible for providing us the feelings of pleasure and joy (1) . Ie activates the same brain pathways to be activated with the use of addictive drugs . With what is expected to have a sugar addiction potential and that is why, increasingly, the literature suggests that it may lead to eating disorders and obesity by high intake.
But more deeply know what addiction to sugar , since actual addiction can only speak when we are faced with three diagnostic criteria:
- Binge usually emerge after a period of abstinence voluntary or forced deprivation.
- Withdrawal effects that become visible when you stop taking a particular substance (sugar in this case).
- Anxiety usually increases after a period of abstinence.
It is because of this that experts point out that only a fraction of the population is really addicted to sugar.However many people may be somewhat “dependent” of this substance.
Also worth noting that these possible mechanisms of addiction are also other problems related to excessive consumption of sugar like all the energy you can bring (4 kcal per gram) without offering any other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals (which is why Speaking of empty calories), with no feeling of satiety which together with the creation of large “spikes” in blood glucose, followed by a rapid drop that can cause premature hunger (reactive hypoglycemia) encouraging us to consume more and more , starting the cycle is resumed.
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