THE REWARDING FEELING OF EATING SUGAR
The human brain has a reward system that is activated by the production of dopamine, or the “feel-good” hormone. Some activities and chemicals can trigger the production of dopamine. It’s not a coincidence that social activities, food, and sex can make our brains feel good; it’s all part of the complicated system that intends to keep us alive and perpetuate the species. Unfortunately, not everything that stimulates the production of dopamine is good for us, like drugs and sugar.
Table sugar (Sucrose) is the most common form of sugar in foods and drinks. It’s a disaccharide (a two molecule sugar) formed by one molecule of glucose and one of fructose.
IS SUGAR REALLY ADDICTIVE?
Check this image below for a couple of seconds.
Would you be able to guess the flavor of the cake?
How about the syrup on the plate or the ice cream beside it?
Can you feel your mouth salivating after watching the image above?
Did you think about adding a dessert to your next meal?
Sugar can be so addictive that a simple image of a sweet dish can trigger a series of thoughts and physical reactions. These reactions can lead to an unplanned cheat-meal.
Addiction is the compulsive use of a substance or behavior, despite their negative consequences.
Have you ever wondered why so many people can’t stop eating sugar?
The cerebral cortex contains a large number of dopamine receptors.
Alcohol, tobacco, heroin, cocaine, and other substances cause extreme stimulation of those receptors.
Our brain translates that stimulation as a “pleasure” intense enough to encourage anyone to keep coming for more, despite the negative consequences. Sugar also stimulates the receptors at a high level, which often leads to addictive behavior.
Most substances that stimulate the production of dopamine tend to wear out over time. Eating the same over and over, gets old quickly, doesn’t it? It happens because the production of dopamine decreases with time. All this is part of the system of survival and wellness that pushes us to seek variation in our food, in an attempt to encourage us to consume a balanced diet. Addictive substances (including sugar) have the characteristic of not decreasing the production of dopamine with time, which explains why eating, desserts, candies, or sodas never seem to get old.
DEFEATING THE ADDICTION TO SUGAR
It’s essential to start by stating that no addiction is easy to be defeated. By knocking into our natural “reward system,” our mind will promptly associate it with a deceiving (and temporary) feeling of well-being. Substituting the dopamine-inducing treats, and taking the sweets out of the routine, makes a very good start to win the battle in defeating the cravings.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH AND WHY?
Leptin is a protein (acting as a hormone) produced by the fat cells that regulate the appetite by interacting with the hypothalamus. Studies in rats have shown that consumption of excessive amounts of fructose has caused elevated amounts of leptin, producing a higher tolerance to it and leading to over-eating and obesity.
Since sugar (sucrose) is not an essential nutrient, there is not a minimum recommendation for it. The USDA has rather established maximum recommendation, which is 10% of the total caloric intake. Doing the math, 10% of 2000 is 200, and since each gram of sugar contains roughly 4 calories, that would mean around 50 grams of sugar a day.
ELIMINATING THE SUGARS
Eliminating the sugars isn’t necessarily a good idea. Fruits contain a significant amount of sucrose, but also provide a considerable quantity of essential vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Undereating fruits have a remarkable impact in our health. The American Heart Association recommends 2 cups of fruits daily, for a 2000 calories diet. Berries are the fruits that are lower in sugars, and therefore the healthiest option.
THE CONVENIENT OPTION OF DRIED FRUITS
Despite the apparent convenience, dried fruits are an alternative that needs to be evaluated carefully. Dried fruits are smaller and lighter (due to the extraction of water), but the amount of sugar is the same as the fresh fruits. To illustrate the point, think about the number of grapes one could fit in one cup vs. the number of raisings one could put in it.
THE SOCIAL PRESSURE
Social pressure plays a vital role in the equation. Part of our culture is to show love with food, and especially sweets; therefore, it is appropriate (and polite) to offer a dessert or sweet drink in a social event. It is also acceptable to say: “I can’t eat sugar, but than”. Social activities are great for catching up with friends, meet new people, and decompress from the daily routine. In reality, sweets don’t improve or deteriorate the social experience. It is advisable to avoid eating sugar during social events since the nature of the occasion will encourage most people to eat more than what they would do in a different environment.
THE SUBCONSCIOUS’ SWEET TOOTH
As stated by Daniel Kahneman, glucose ( a monosaccharide ) is the main fuel of the body, the nervous system operates purely on it. As soon as the body starts getting depleted of glucose, it will signal the brain to replenish it. Whenever the conscious part of the brain is busy on a demanding task (as well as consuming glucose in the process), the subconscious won’t face much resistance in influencing the body to reach for the sugary alternative, since it contains glucose, even when the person knows it’s not the ideal approach. A much better option would be to reach for polysaccharides (vegetables, grains, or cereals) as a way to replenish the glucose spent.
Since the conscious will be busy working, it’s advisable to eliminate temptations like candies or cookies. Having available vegetables, nuts or power bars will narrow the options which the subconscious will pick from.
FINAL NOTE
There are three groups of sugars: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Sucrose, or table sugar, is the addictive substance featured in this post. To learn more about the different kinds of sugars and how they interact with the body, check the blog that explains them more detailed.