Are you addicted to this drug? - In a sugar rush

Veröffentlicht am: October 09, 2024
Sarah Allen
Sarah Allen

Nutritionist and dietician

Do you think you have your sugar consumption under control?

If so, we're sorry to disappoint you. Statistically speaking, almost every second person suffers from a sugar addiction, which means that you could also be affected.

What is the shocking result of our sugar consumption?

At the end of the year, the average person manages to consume40 kilograms of pure sugar! That puts us at around 37 sugar cubes per day (approx. 111 g of sugar)!

However, the German Nutrition Society and the WHO recommend a maximum of 25 g of sugar per day, which corresponds to approx. 8-9 sugar cubes.  

How can a sugar addiction develop in the first place?

The fact is: our brain reacts to absolutely any kind of sugar as it does to cocaine! Studies show that the consumption of sugar stimulates the same areas of the brain as drugs. 

Sugar also ensures that serotonin is released. Sugar therefore makes us happy and satisfied.

As is so often the case, the quantity makes the poison. So if we consume 40 kg of sugar per year, as well as many carbohydrate-rich meals, we clearly exceed the critical amount.

But is there no such thing as "good" sugar?

To make a long story short: Sugar is sugar - no matter in what form. Even if the media and food companies want us to believe that agave syrup, honey, fructose and the like are healthier, this is simply wrong. Because: every form has a strong effect on blood sugar levels! Any sugar is bad in excess. 

From a chemical point of view, there is also no difference between the different types of sugar. Even if there are minor positive benefits (e.g. enzymes in honey) - these can never compensate for the disadvantages of excessive sugar consumption!

Can't I just give up sugar?

Avoiding sugar is almost impossible these days. It is found almost everywhere - even in foods that we would not expect to contain sugar at first glance, such as canned food, sausage, cheese, bread, sauces, dairy products and more.

In addition, the name sugar is very well disguised by the industry to make it harder for us to recognize it as such:

  • Fructose
  • Lactose
  • Malt
  • Apple and agave syrup
  • Honey
  • Glucose syrup
  • ... and more

What are the consequences of eating too much sugar?

  • Sugar addiction turns into diabetes: with uncontrolled sugar consumption, the body's own insulin is no longer sufficient to balance blood sugar levels in the long term. The sugar remains in the blood and no longer reaches the body's cells. This leads to type 2 diabetes. 
  • High sugar consumption disrupts the intestinal flora and leads to digestive disorders. This leads to an impairment of the healthy microbial flora and a weakened immune system.
  • The heart is also directly affected by sugar consumption. Not only trans fats but also sugar lead to cardiovascular disease.
  • Sugar also leads to obesity, as everyone knows. In the EU, more than half of all women and men are already overweight.
  • Together with bad fats, sugar can trigger a fatty liver. This means that fat accumulates incorrectly in the liver. People who consume sweetened drinks on a daily basis in particular have a high risk of developing the disease. 
  • There are even negative effects on cancer cell production, as sugar promotes inflammation.
  • Osteoarthritis, clogged blood vessels and even Alzheimer's disease are also associated with excessive sugar consumption.

Break the cycle today!

Fight sugar addiction now!

How do you do that? By regulating your blood sugar! The more sugar or carbohydrates you consume, the more it fluctuates and brings you to the limits of your discipline with carbohydrate cravings. 

What can you do about it?

  • You can only break this cycle with sufficient protein. The high protein content in food increases the time it stays in your stomach, keeps you full for longer and keeps your blood sugar stable. High-quality sources of protein are: Organic meat, fish, eggs and pulses.
  • It also needs lots of vegetables to stimulate digestion and unprocessed nuts for healthy fats.
  • Add spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger or hot spices to your food - these stimulate the metabolism and take away the desire for sweets. 
  • Fruit should preferably be eaten in the morning. In the evening, the body receives too many carbohydrates, converts them into sugar and stores them as fat.
  • Eat 4 small meals a day to keep your blood sugar level constant.

Tips at the end:

  1. Observe your own eating behavior: When do you need sugar?
  2. Take a look at the nutritional value tables
  3. Look for synonyms of sugar such as: syrup, malt, fructose, ...
  4. Prefer the apple to the fruit juice
  5. Consume more protein, healthy fats and fiber
  6. Cook for yourself and avoid highly processed food

 

Sources (in English):

DiNicolantonio, J. J., O'Keefe, J. H. & Wilson, W. L. (2018, July). Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(14):910-913, doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097971

Fortuna, J. L. (2010, June). Sweet preference, sugar addiction and the familial history of alcohol dependence: shared neural pathways and genes. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2):147-51, doi: 10.1080/02791072.2010.10400687

Fortuna, J. L. (2012, January-March). The obesity epidemic and food addiction: clinical similarities to drug dependence. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(1):56-63, doi: 10.1080/02791072.2012.662092

Ahmed, S. H., Guillem, K. & Vandaele, Y. (2013, July). Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 16(4):434-9, doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328361c8b8

Liu, H. & Heaney, A. P. (2011, September). Refined fructose and cancer. Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, 15(9):1049-59, doi: 10.1517/14728222.2011.588208