THE SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

                                                              THE SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

 

We find sugar everywhere today. In the supermarket it hides between cookies, cakes, donuts, candy, soda, and other foods we would never think to look. With all these tasty delicacies sitting around, it is hard to stop ourselves from eating it all the time. Recent psychology studies show that there might be valid reasons as to why we cannot stop eating sweets. Studies that look at the biological and chemical properties of sugar when compared to human eating habits find astonishing results. Sugar is an addictive substance.

 

There are three types of food molecules that can enter the body: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Sugar is categorized as a carbohydrate that is composed of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Compared to other carbohydrates, sugar is a relatively simple molecule, so it is easier to break down in the body’s intestinal system. We can find many different forms of sugar in the world today. This can include anything from simple white cane sugar (what we usually use in baked goods) to the more exotic sugars like agave nectar or molasses. All of these substances contain the same mixture of simple sugars, which are glucose, fructose, and sucrose. These three types of sugars can be mixed and matched in order to create a unique combination. For example, granulated sugar is 100% sucrose while honey is 50% fructose, 45% glucose, and 5% sucrose.  These different molecules all make up what we call “sugar.”

 

An addiction is something that causes psychological dependence, so it is a mental and cognitive problem in addition to a physical ailment. Addiction is also termed as dependence by the experts. Dependence is “characterized by compulsive, sometimes uncontrollable, behaviors that occur at the expense of other activities and intensify with repeated access”. In regards to sugar, this means that eating sugar continuously and uncontrollably can cause daily activities to suffer. In order to be diagnosed with a sugar addiction, psychologists and doctors look at three different signs: bingeing, withdrawal, and craving. Just one of these symptoms can indicate a start to an addiction, but all three combined points to a serious dependence on a certain substance. Usually we think of alcohol and drugs as addictive substances, but sugar is a very real addiction, too.

 

Eating sugar increases the serotonin levels in the body, which is a calming and mood elevating neurotransmitter (Fortuna, 2010). Serotonin plays an important part in regulating pain levels and sleep cycles, and it is an anti-depressant. When sugar levels increase, serotonin levels rise and individuals can feel better about themselves both physically and mentally. Many times we think of cookies and ice cream as comfort food, so this could be one reason why some people have a hard time staying away from these sweets.

Environmental cues are capable sugar addiction triggers as well. Watching a commercial about candy, smelling cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, or simply being around sugar can cause someone to start eating it uncontrollably.  Eating sugar can also become a learned response by simply eating sugar when hungry, bored, or tired so that someone craves it whenever they feel this way. Overtime it will be a habit to simply reach out and eat sugar when these cues arise. This happens the same way with other drugs of addiction, too. A classic example shows that a motivated individual can pass through drug rehab perfectly. However, when he returns to his old environment and friends, he will find himself craving drugs again because of the environmental cues.

Sugar addiction, or sugar dependence, is based off the three basic stages of bingeing, withdrawal, and craving. Sugar can cause the neurochemicals dopamine, tryptophan, and serotonin to increase. All of these are involved with pleasure, reward, and pain tolerance that can make sugar irresistible. These neurochemicals are also released with other drugs of addiction, which links sugar addiction to any other addiction. With more research and studies I am sure that sugar addiction can become an even more well-known addiction in the scientific and medical community.

Lastly, any activity done in abundance is considered bad while at the same time if you manage your sugar intakes, there is no harm in consuming that.

So till then come visit us at the Banarasi Misthan Bhandar for the infinite sweet delicacies.