Sugar Addiction: What Is It All About

What is sugar addiction? Sugar addiction is an addiction where you are always craving for some sugary snack or beverage. It is also similar to other addictions such as smoking addiction or alcohol addiction. When they are unable to get their sugar fix, the sugar addict may start feeling tired, light headed or confusion. Towards the extreme spectrum, symptoms could be shaking, tremor, severe headache, nausea or even vomiting. Sugar addiction is the most widespread of addiction and it affects many children especially teenagers who have poor eating habits. So what are the causes of a sugar addiction?

Sugar in its basic form is known as glucose and is used as fuel for the body. Other complex sugars such as fruit sugar and milk sugar are also broken down in the body to glucose. Our bodies usually get out supply of fuel from starches. Starch is a carbohydrate and it is contained in bread, potatoes or carrots. Fats such as butter, eggs and meats are also broken down into glucose in the digestive system and the liver. This is known as glucogenesis. When a person eats simple sugar on a regular basis, it implies that one cannot breakdown complex food into sugars. Therefore, because we are constantly feeding our body with simple sugar, the body becomes unable to properly digest and utilize other more complex food. Therefore one would always be craving for sugar and it is the fastest basic form of sugar.

Sugar also causes neurochemical changes in the brain. The behavioral effect are similar to those that occur with addictive drugs. Some studies have said that both sugar and the taste of sweet activate beta endorphin receptor sites in the brain. This is the same receptor sites that are activated by heroin and morphine.

In conclusion, sugar is addictive and dangerous to your health. Taken in small amounts, they could be a small reward for yourself, but in large amounts it will be detrimental for your health.