We owe it to the Arab world in the 7th and 8th centuries. That was in the newly formed Baghdad, where people began our ongoing love for sweets, devouring ourselves on sugar-based fruit cakes, honey porridge, fried syrup pastries and candies.
The word itself – “sugar” comes from Arabic”Sukkar“After the 11th century Crusade, Europeans imported westward, as well as a sugary appetite. At that time, they were rarely enjoying candy as a snack: they were almost a sleepy afternoon picking me up or remedy.
Now, sugar is full of sugar – 60% of food and beverage products in U.S. supermarkets contain added sugar, even foods that are allegedly healthy, such as salads, soups and granola.
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Reading food labels can keep your teeth on the edge. American Coca-Cola contains 10 grams of sugar. Even a can of tomato soup contains 7-8 teaspoons of sugar, which can explain why North America consumes an average of about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
This ubiquitous sugar is one of the biggest changes in modern diets around the world. Health experts blame sugar on common problems, including diabetes and obesity-related diseases.
Sugar overconsumption: a substance or behavioral addiction?
Sugar can certainly be felt addictive. Overeating candies, absconding, craving sugar, withdrawal and bounce fatigue feelings – they are all classic behavioral patterns associated with addiction.
Neuroscience studies have shown that chronic sugar overconsumption can alter neuronal pathways in the brain, including changes in dopamine signaling and changes in stress-related pathways. “These changes are parallel to substance use disorders and can lead to cycles of craving and over-consumption,” said Nicole Avena, a food addiction expert at Sinai Morningside Hospital in New York, New York, USA.
“It may not be the addictive sugar itself, but the kind of beneficial feeling that we can give us when we eat it. This is different from the highly addictive substance that acts directly at the center of the brain’s reward.”
But surprisingly, it is not yet clear whether sugar is really an addictive substance. Sugar cannot directly act on the dopaminergic reward pathways in the brain like nicotine and cocaine.
Some scientists hypothesize that excessive consumption of sugar may trigger food addiction by hijacking the dopaminergic reward system. Others believe that “only the pleasant taste of sugary foods is the cause of addiction, not the high content of sugar.”
In other words, it may not be the addiction to sugar itself, but the beneficial feeling that we bring when we eat it. This is different from highly addictive substances that act directly on the brain reward center. This is why, like all food addiction, excessive consumption of sugar is sometimes considered a behavioral addiction rather than a substance addiction.
What causes sugar addiction?
“[Sugar] Impact the brain in ways that can lead to unhealthy habits, especially among people who have experienced challenging experiences in stress or early in their lives.
Bartlett and Gillespie told DW in a joint statement via email that it is important to understand Why People are trapped in the pattern of sugar overconsumption and addiction because “sugar consumption is closely intertwined with emotional regulation.”
Emotional stress can cause the body to crave sweets, which may be the way the brain soothes depression. Depression and anxiety do lead to sugar cravings and can lead to a sugar addiction in the long run. “The study also emphasizes that early life stress can irritate the brain in search of super delicious foods like sugar,” Bartlett and Gillespie said.
Addictive or not, sugar is bad for your health
Addiction is not necessarily bad, and these addictions are problematic only if the causes of addiction can also cause harm. Long-term excessive consumption of sugar can indeed cause harm.
Vasiliu said the evidence is absolutely clear that excessive consumption of sugar is extremely dangerous to health regardless of weight gain or not.
“The sugar tax appears to be an effective way to stop people from buying sugary foods and beverages. Sugary drinks in four U.S. states increased taxes by 33%, and sales of soft drinks fell by 33%.
Scientists have been following the precise way of eating more sugar has changed the way the body works for decades. Too much sugar (six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men) can cause tooth decay, persistent fatigue, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, to name just a few health issues. A high-sugar diet is also associated with cancer and neurological diseases and dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
“A study found that people who drink four or more soft drinks a week feel frustrated compared to those who drink less than one,” Gillespie and Bartlett said.
How to Get Out of Sugar Addiction
There are reliable ways to get yourself out of sugar, but beating addiction requires a multi-pronged approach. Evidence-based strategies include behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help individuals identify and modify patterns of compulsive behavior, including diet.
“Nutritional strategies, such as gradually reducing added sugar to avoid withdrawal symptoms, increasing protein and fiber intake to regulate blood sugar levels, and using a structured diet plan can also work,” Avena said.
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But few people can beat sugar addiction on their own. Sugar is described as “new tobacco”. Vasiliu said it is crucial that the government step in and “increase the availability of healthy foods and reduce over-propaganda for superprocessed foods”.
Sugar tax seems to be an effective way to stop people from buying sugary foods and beverages. Sugar-containing beverages in four U.S. states increased taxes by 33%, and sales of soft drinks fell by 33%. However, tax solutions are often found, but in Mexico, sugar taxes on soft drinks were introduced, but people only switched to juices, which also have high sugar content but do not pay taxes.
The British government proposed a two-layer sugar tax in 2018, which varies on food based on the amount of sugar in it. This has led manufacturers to reduce sugar content and overall consumption in soft drinks. But health experts say the impact of sugar tax would be stronger if the tax rate is higher and cover all types of high-sugar products, not just soft drinks.
