THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KICKING SUGAR by Flora Zhao - HTML preview

Chapter 1

WHY YOUR BRAIN CRAVES SUGAR

sumption can lead to consequences very similar to drug

abuse.

Blum explained that excessive sugar consumption

can trigger acute dopamine release.

“It’s like abusing alcohol or other drugs of abuse,” he

said. Over time, that can result in a chronic decrease in dopamine levels. Consequently, individuals may seek larger

quantities of sugar to experience the same level of plea-

sure, eventually leading to an addictive state where they consume more and more.

When you consume a large amount of refined sugar,

Activation of brain neurons in specific regions upon sucrose and cocaine administration.

“your brain lights up like a pinball machine due to the intense release of dopamine,” said James DiNicolantonio, a

tory of Neuronal Plasticity at the BRAINCITY Center of

cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy

Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, part at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas

of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish

City, Missouri.

Academy of Sciences, in Warsaw, Poland.”

When ingesting refined sugar, the sweet receptors sig-

“Sugar/food becomes addictive if we value it over oth-

nal the brain’s reward system more effectively than when

er rewards.”

eating fruit. The levels of dopamine released by the brain far exceed what we can handle.

In 2023, a study published in the journal Translation-al Psychiatry revealed that when a mouse drinks water or

Is Sugar a Drug?

is injected with saline, the brain remains relatively calm.

However, when administered a sucrose solution or inject-

Sugar is irresistibly alluring, not only because it stimulates ed with cocaine, multiple regions of the brain’s neurons

the brain to produce dopamine, which brings joy, but also become activated (highlighted in the image).

because it triggers the production of endogenous opioids

“Our research shows how similarly both additive and

in the brain, which can lead to addiction and dependence.

nonadditive rewards are processed by our brains, both on

Blum said that the brain has glucose receptors, and

the whole-brain scale and on a cellular level,” said Anna when they are stimulated by sugar, it triggers a series of Beroun, the study’s lead author and head of the Labora-signaling pathways that ultimately lead to the production 8

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Chapter 1

WHY YOUR BRAIN CRAVES SUGAR

of addictive substances. This mechanism is inherently

For example, a prospective observational study pub-present “so that if you abuse sugar, you’re going to order lished in Addiction Biology in 2021 revealed that a signif-the brain–reward circuitry in a negative way, as if you use icant proportion of individuals with alcohol use disorder heroin.”

(40 percent) experienced an increased craving for sugar

An experiment revealed that mice fed large amounts during their inpatient alcohol detoxification.

of sugar intermittently exhibited withdrawal symptoms

Additionally, a study published in the journal Addic-when injected with a drug that blocks opioids. These

tion showed that children with a family history of alco-

symptoms included teeth chattering, forepaw tremors,

holism and depression were more likely to prefer intense

and headshakes.

sweetness. On average, these children opted for water with Sugar’s effect on the brain not only shares similarities

a sucrose concentration of 24 percent, equivalent to about with drugs but also, in certain circumstances, is even more 14 teaspoons of sugar in a glass of water—more than twice alluring.

the sugar concentration found in regular soda water.

Over the years, French researchers have conducted

In contrast, children without such familial back-

a series of animal experiments, with the results revealing grounds preferred water with a sucrose concentration of

that when given the choice between cocaine and sucrose,

18 percent.

rodents consistently preferred sucrose over cocaine. This preference held even for mice previously addicted to cocaine before the experiments.

“When we over-consume sugar, there is a release of

The Brain’s Sweet Dilemma

dopamine and endogenous opioids that cause a ‘high,’ but

then we get a ‘low.’ If we do this over a prolonged period of Sugar and the brain share an innate strong connection.

time, this can lead to dependency on sugar, especially in Unfortunately, modern diets are filled with highly refined those who are vulnerable,” said DiNicolantonio, summariz-sugars that evoke drug-like allure. In fact, the sweetness ing the addictive mechanism of sugar.

we consume today differs significantly from what our an-

When there is a deficiency of dopamine and endog-

cestors experienced.

enous opioids, one may feel sad, confused, sluggish, and

Russo vividly illustrated the body and brain’s con-

unable to concentrate, all of which can further drive the flicting views on sugar with a lively scene, noting that our desire to consume more sugar.

bodies resist certain sugars while being more receptive to Additionally, numerous human experiments have

others.

demonstrated the link between sugar and addiction.

“The brain says, ‘We need sugar; we must have sugar;

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Chapter 1

we can’t survive without it.’ On the other hand, the body disagrees, saying, ‘We don’t like all types of sugar,’” she added.

C H A P T E R 2

There is an ancient Chinese saying: “If you know the

enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” To quit sugar, one must first understand sugar. However, the truth is some sugars and sweet sub-Natural

stances are natural and even beneficial to the body.

Sweeteners:

Healthy

Alternatives

to Sugar

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NATURAL SWEETENERS: HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO SUGAR

Stevia

“Compared to other types of

sweeteners, stevia could be beneficial

in helping people keep their glucose

levels under control or in a healthy

range after eating.”

Stephen Anton, professor in the Department of Physiology and Aging, University of Florida

Stevia has recently become one of the most popular natu-

ral sugar substitutes. Sugar is known to raise blood sugar levels, but stevia can actually lower them. In fact, it was even used to treat diabetes in ancient times.

Stevia is also known as honey leaf, sweet leaf, or sweet

herb. According to a paper published in Nutrition Today, it belongs to the sunflower (Asteraceae) family and is native to southern Brazil and northern Paraguay. The indigenous

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