Understanding why we love sugar is the first step towards finding a solution to fight the addiction.
DID you know that sugar was once known as “white gold” because it was costly and rare? One hundred and fifty years ago, only the rich and famous had access to this sweetener that is now causing massive health problems around the world.
Price and accessibility aside, there’s something about sugar that just keeps us hooked. No matter how many times we’ve read about reducing sugar intake to prevent or delay the onset of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancer, it is hard to resist the sweet stuff.
On top of that, there are the hidden sugars in almost everything we buy these days. From cornflakes to sausages, sauces, crackers, oatmeal, and even, baby food, milk and medications, everything has been sweetened to make them more palatable.
But what is it about sweetness that makes it so addictive? Here are some reasons:
The ‘feel good’ factor
Birthday cakes, celebratory cupcakes, mama’s signature cookies, ice cream treats, delectable desserts... taste aside, all these and more are associated with happy moments.
Somehow or other, giving someone a cake, candy or cookie as a gift appears more romantic or caring than say, lasagna or chicken pie.
Why is that so? Part of the reason is our culture, many a happy family in the past grew up with memories of baking festive cookies together, having ice kacang on a hot day, singing birthday songs and cutting cakes together, and more.
Still, the sweet happiness is no coincidence. Sugar and refined carbohydrates release the hormone serotonin in the brain, which enhances mood in the same way antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs do.
Sugar also releases beta-endorphins, a neurotransmitter in the brain that acts as a natural painkiller, producing a sense of self-esteem and resolving anxiety.
When your problems seem trivial after cakes and tea, is it any surprise if you are emotionally attached to sweets?
Stress relief
Any working woman would know how stress messes up your life – you skip meals, stop exercising, have trouble sleeping and basically ruin your health plans.
When the body is stressed, it releases cortisol into the bloodstream. This stress hormone boosts adrenaline, which puts you on high alert to get through your period of stress.
Once the stressful episode is over, however, your body screams for a quick “battery” recharge, which explains the food cravings and over-eating.
There is a sense of wanting to reward yourself for having crossed another hurdle, and what better way than a sweet pick-me-up.
Hormonal imbalance
Feel yourself craving for sugary snacks just before your menstrual period? This is when your oestrogen and progesterone (two key hormones for women) dip, which affects the beta-endorphin levels.
With these three hormones on their monthly “medical leave”, you find yourself cranky, tired, moody and unable to focus.
But lo and behold, once you wolf down a super-rich chocolate cake and a caffeine-cum-sugar-spiked drink, you feel in control again. The sugar pumps beta-endorphins into your bloodstream, providing an almost drug-like reaction to your high-strung emotions.
Forget diamonds, chocolate is probably a girl’s real best friend, especially during that time of the month.
Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is part of diabetes, where your body is unable to metabolise the sugar/glucose that you consume into energy. When that happens, excessive amounts of sugar stay in the bloodstream and start to overload your organs, beginning with your “micro” nerves such as those at the hands, feet and eyes, and moving on to major organs such as the kidneys.
Although there is excessive sugar in your bloodstream, your body cells are unable to access them, thus, they will send messages to your brain to release more insulin.
This results in sugar cravings because your body cells are crying out for fuel to operate.
Yeast overgrowth
Our intestines and vaginal tract contain millions of bacteria. When the bacterial flora are out of balance, yeast, a kind of fungi, will start to propagate quickly, leading to various problems such as digestive problems and vaginal infections.
The thing is, yeast needs sugar to thrive. When you are housing too much yeast, you are bound to get sugar cravings to feed the unwelcome “guests” in your body.
People with frequent and persistent vaginal or urinary infections often have a sweet tooth, creating a vicious cycle of infection and re-infection.
Taking a good prebiotic and probiotic will help address the yeast overgrowth, and you will find the sugar cravings significantly reduced.
Inflammation in the body
Eating too much red meat, processed foods and acid-forming foods leads to inflammation, where oxidative stress builds up and causes damage to body cells.
Having excessive acidity in the body makes you crave for sugary stuff in an attempt to find an alkalizing solution. Instead of hopping over to the nearest bakery, try getting your sugar fix with natural foods such as a banana, papaya and other sweet fruits.
The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables will help offset the metabolic damage and regulate the acid-forming oxidation caused by certain foods.
Filling an emotional void
Too many people in today’s fast-paced life lack “sweetness” in their life – a friendly smile, a warm touch, a balanced life, affirming social support or a day out in the sun.
We may not realise it, but we automatically reach for something sweet when we are actually looking for positive energy and happiness.
It can manifest in seemingly innocent rituals, such as taking a hot mug of chocolate milk after dinner, or ice-cream every weekend. Many of these rituals are linked to a childhood or adopted practice associated with comfort, love and security.
Understanding why we love sugar is the first step towards finding a solution to fight the addiction.
People who are trying unsuccessfully to reduce or forgo sugar are not weak-willed or not trying hard enough; they could be fighting a losing battle against their own body’s reactions.
■ Watch out for part two (on Dec 14) of this 'sweet' series, which will look at ways to end sugar cravings using nutrition-based solutions.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates release the hormone serotonin in the brain, which enhances mood in the same way antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs do. – AFP
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