Sugar - a hard drug?

Is there a real sugar craving at all?

Researchers at Princeton University in New Jersey/USA found the same changes in the brain with massive sugar consumption as with the consumption of hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine, and this already after 4 weeks of increased sugar consumption.

Sugar fakes happiness

Drugs increase dopamine and serotonin levels - they make you happy and relaxed. Sugar also increases dopamine and serotonin levels, making you happy and relaxed for a short time, before you need to be replenished soon.

Sugar is therefore a substance that can be addictive.

What else does it do in the body?

Getting rid of sugar is not only worthwhile in the case of obesity or for weight reduction, because cancer cells also feed on sugar. Certain types of sugar seem to accelerate the growth of cancer cells even more than others. For example, studies indicate that the simple sugar fructose makes the cancer cells grow particularly fast. Below are some more clinical pictures as an example, which absolutely need a massive sugar reduction for treatment or prevention:

Alzheimer

Already a preliminary stage of diabetes, as well as diabetes type 2 itself, increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Many studies indicate a connection between increased sugar consumption and Alzheimer's disease.

ADHD

One of many studies on the connection between sugar and ADHD shows that with every additional sweet drink per day, the ability to concentrate decreases.

Autoimmune diseases

One treatment approach or treatment component for autoimmune diseases is a bowel rehabilitation. However, sugar destroys the intestinal flora. Therefore, for a successful intestinal rehabilitation, it is absolutely necessary to avoid sugar. 

How can I overcome a sugar craving?

Sugar addiction can be treated by taking the simple sugar galactose for about 30 days. Galactose is absorbed into the cells independently of insulin, thus protecting the pancreas. Galactose often helps to overcome a sugar craving within 30 days.

Below is a fairly comprehensive list of various sweetening ingredients that you should avoid:

Sweetening ingredients that are often not recognized

  • Apple sweets

  • Glucose

  • Glucose-fructose syrup

  • Glucose syrup

  • Inulin

  • Yoghurt powder

  • Caramel syrup

  • Concentrated fruit juices

  • Lactose

  • Skimmed milk powder

  • Maltodextrin

  • Maltose

  • Malt extract

  • Whey product

  • Whey powder

  • Oligofructose

  • Oligofructose syrup

  • Polydextrose

  • Refinement

  • Raisins

  • Sucrose

  • Sweet whey powder

  • Grape Sweetness

  • Whole milk powder

  • Wheat dextrin

Sweeteners

  • salt of acesulfame aspartame (E 962)

  • Acesulfame-K (E 950)

  • aspartame (E 951)

  • Cylamate (E 952)

  • saccharin (E 954)

  • Steviol glycosides (E 960)

  • Sucralose (E 955)

Sugar substitutes

  • Erythritol (E 968)

  • Isomalt (E 953)

  • Maltite/maltitol syrup (E 965)

  • Sorbitol (E 420)

  • xylitol (E 967)

Sweetening ingredients, which are easier to recognise

  • Brown sugar

  • Fructose

  • Inverted sugar

  • Invert sugar cream

  • Caramelized sugar

  • Caramel sugar syrup

  • Malt sugar

  • Lactose

  • Refined sugar

  • Cane sugar

  • Glucose

  • Vanilla/vanillin sugar

  • White sugar

  • Sugar

The author in the video

To this blog article there is a short video with the author and nutritionist Marion Josel. Watch the video about sugar on Youtube!

Sources:

  • Colantuoni C et al, "Evidence that intermittent, excessive sugar intake causes endogenous opioid dependence." Obes Res. 2002 Jun;10(6):478-88. (Evidence that intermittent, excessive sugar intake causes endogenous opioid dependence)

  • Avena NM, Rada P, Hoebel BG. "Evidence for sugar addiction: behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake." Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2008;32(1):20-39. (Evidence for sugar addiction: behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake).

  • Liu H, Heaney AP. "Refined fructose and cancer." Expert Opinion Ther Targets. 2011 Sep;15(9):1049-59. (Refined fructose and cancer.)

  • Liu H et al, "Fructose induces transketolase flux to promote pancreatic cancer growth." Cancer Res. 2010 Aug 1;70(15):6368-76 (Fructose induces transketolase flux to promote pancreatic cancer growth).

  • Port AM et al, "Fructose consumption and cancer: is there a connection?" Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2012 Oct;19(5):367-74. (Fructose and cancer: is there a connection?)

  • Baker LD, Craft S; Insulin resistance and Alzheimer-like reductions in regional cerebral glucose metabolism for cognitively normal adults with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes;, Archives of Neurology, January 2011, (Insulin resistance and Alzheimer-like reductions in regional brain glucose metabolism in adults with normal cognitive abilities, with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes)

  • Erickson MA, Banks WA, Owen JB; Insulin in the brain: there and back again, Pharmacology; Therapeutics, October 2012, (Insulin in the brain: there and back again)

  • Prof. Jeannette Ickovics et al, "Energy Drinks and Youth Self-Reported Hyperactivity/Inattention Symptoms, Academic Pediatrics, February 2015, ("Energy Drinks and Self-Reported Hyperactivity/attention deficit symptoms in adolescents")

Marion Josel