Addiction to Sugar - What It Is and Why Your Should Break Your Addiction to Sugar

An addiction to sugar means it is challenging to control your consumption of sugar in your diet. The consumption of sweets may in fact become like an addiction. Addictions to many substances or behaviors have been documented, but we typically think of addiction to alcohol or drugs. Refined sugar actually looks like cocaine, and it behaves like heroin upon hitting the brain.

Interestingly, sugar activates the beta endorphin receptors of the brain which are the same sites stimulated by morphine and heroin. This was documented in a study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition by Nicole Avena and colleagues in 2009. Earlier Kathleen DesMaisons noted that sugar dependency followed the same development pattern as other drugs that are commonly abused.

Any addiction can be harmful, but addiction to sugar can lead to some serious health consequences. It contributes to tooth decay, promotes heart disease, disrupts brain function and contributes significantly to the development of obesity and diabetes. Over consumption of sugar can negatively affect the endocrine and immune system which leads to chronic maladies such as asthma, osteoporosis, arthritis, hypoglycemia and periodontal disease.

The destructive effects of excess sugar can be associated to almost all health conditions. The American Diabetes Association agrees that sugar consumption is one of the three major causes of degenerative disease in the US. Of particular importance is the suppression of the immune system. As phagocytes are depleted, the body cannot fight disease and infection efficiently or effectively.

There is a lot of information available on how to break your addiction to sugar. It can be challenging because sugar is so common in the foods we eat. One method on which all experts agree is that you should drink plenty of water. It fools your body into thinking it is not hungry plus there is no sugar at all in water. Cut out white foods such as pasta and sandwich bread, because these are really sugar products in a different form. Whole wheat bread and brown rice allow for positive carbohydrate effects without creating cravings.

Eat vegetables in their original form such as carrots from the produce section instead of from a can. Similarly eat real fruits like apples instead of their processed counterparts in the form of juices. Read labels while shopping, and avoid processed food and products with excess sugar. Learn the different names of sugar so you can identify them on the ingredient list. Also, by eating a balanced diet and getting the proper nutrition from your foods you will naturally crave less sugar.