Carbohydrate (sugar) dependence: causes and methods of elimination

Author: Margarita Kuts - doctor-dietitian, gastroenterologist, and body mesotherapist.
2014-06-17

Have you ever felt a strong desire to eat something sweet? A familiar feeling? Many people do not realize that such a harmless craving can signal a serious carbohydrate metabolism disorder, specifically, a sugar or carbohydrate addiction.

In fact, there can be several reasons that lead us to the shelves filled with candies, pastries, cakes, and other "treats." These can include:

1. Psychological dependence.
2. Biochemical dependence.

Psychological Sugar Addiction

In cases of psychological dependence, the urge for sweets is due to a lack of joy hormones (endorphins). A person experiences what is called a soul or emotional hunger, which they satisfy by consuming various sweet treats. As a result, endorphins are released, the person calms down, and their mood lifts. All right, the emotional hunger is satisfied. But only for a while.

After this, the "pressing" feeling returns even more forcefully, and the need to consume sweets arises even more. This forms an addiction that resembles drug or alcohol dependency.

For those with psychological dependence, it's important to find other sources that promote endorphin production, aside from sweets. Such sources include:

• Oatmeal (takes the lead),
• Buckwheat,
• Mushrooms,
• Turkey,
• Lime juice (diluted).

Don’t forget about good sleep, which also contributes to the production of joy hormones.

If no psychological reasons are identified, then the dependence is likely biochemical.

Biochemical Sugar Addiction

In cases of biochemical dependence, the craving for sweets is related to a deficiency of chromium in the body. So why do we need chromium? Before answering that question, let’s explore what happens in our body when there is a chronic overconsumption of sugar and products containing it.

When you eat something sweet, be it a bun or chocolate, white bread, etc., your blood sugar level rises. In response to this increase, the pancreas synthesizes the hormone insulin. Its main function is to deliver glucose to tissues to satisfy their energy needs. After this, blood sugar levels drop, and they can become lower than before, as insulin is always produced in greater quantities than needed. As a result, signals reach the brain indicating a glucose shortage, making us feel hungry.

It’s also worth noting that with excessive intake of sugar and sweets, insulin only transports part of the glucose to "needy" tissues, while some is transformed into glycogen in the liver, and the remaining is converted into fat, which is stored in subcutaneous fat layers.

Systematic spikes in insulin production lead to tissues becoming resistant to it, and the glucose brought by insulin is not absorbed. In this case, insulin has no choice but to convert it into fat storage. As a result, obesity occurs, and naturally, the risk of developing diabetes increases significantly.

But let's return to chromium. This wonderful microelement normalizes blood glucose levels by reducing the excessive production of insulin and increasing tissue sensitivity to insulin. Thus, the body’s tissues receive the necessary energy not only from the glucose carried by insulin but also from mobilizing energy from stores (liver, muscles, fat tissue) while simultaneously reducing food intake. Thanks to all these properties, chromium reduces the craving for sweets.

Chromium is produced in our body, but its production decreases with age. Additionally, a significant amount of chromium is washed out with excessive consumption of sugar-containing products.

Often, if you refrain from sweets for 2-3 weeks, the craving for them goes away. However, there are times when additional sources of chromium are necessary.

Chromium is found in some foods:

• Broccoli – the primary source of chromium,
• Brewer's yeast,
• Meat,
• Liver,
• Legumes,
• Whole grains,
• Bran.

Sometimes, simply eating broccoli once a week is enough to avoid the need for chromium supplements. But remember that chromium is poorly absorbed from foods that have undergone intensive thermal processing.

If cravings for sweets persist, then don’t overlook chromium supplements. When choosing supplements, pay attention to the chemical form of this element. According to research in the USA, only chromium picolinate is well absorbed by the body.

I hope my article will be useful to you. Wishing you health and good luck!!!