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Jul 31, 2024 · Registered dietitians explain what it can mean when you're hit with a sugar craving, and how to stop cravings from creeping up in the first place.
Nov 20, 2023 · Stress, lack of sleep and not eating enough all contribute to sugar hankerings. When it comes to food hankerings, there’s a good chance you might be craving sugary sweets like pastries, cookies, candy or chocolate.
- You're exhausted. "During times of fatigue or exhaustion, the first thing we crave is sugar," says Maya Feller, R.D., a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian nutritionist and author of the upcoming book, Eating From Our Roots.
- You're stressed. "Past research has found that when primates were under stress, they sought out carbohydrates3—primarily in the form of fruit," says Steven Gundry, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon and author of Unlocking the Keto Code.
- Your gut isn't getting what it needs. Gundry says one of the theories around what makes humans hungry is the Gut Flora-Centric Theory of Hunger. "This is a theory that says our hunger is controlled by how much our gut bacteria is being fed the foods they need," he says.
- You're consuming too many artificial sweeteners. "Artificial sweeteners have messed with our system when it comes to detecting sugar," says Gundry. "That's because we don't have sugar receptors in our tongue; we have sweet receptors.
- Overview
- What causes sugar cravings?
- Can you rewire your cravings?
- How to manage cravings
- When to talk with a pro
- The bottom line
Sugar is almost everywhere — added to countless products advertised on every form of media, and included in nearly every holiday and casual meal.
According to a 2018 research review, craving sweets is now so common that some researchers wonder whether we’ve developed a habit-forming culture when it comes to craving sugar.
Conditioning
What you eat — along with when, why, and how much you eat — can turn into behavior patterns. In a different 2018 research review, researchers say that what you crave is the result of classical conditioning: behaviors you’ve adopted over time because they feel rewarding. In short, you may crave sugar because your mind and body have been trained to crave it. An intense craving can feel a lot like a compulsion or a habit-forming experience. In a 2016 research review, researchers found that processed foods — especially those containing added sugar — can cause habit-forming behaviors in people and in laboratory rats and mice.
Sugar and habit-forming behaviors
Are sugary foods habit-forming in the same way as drugs? The science isn’t completely clear on that point. Nevertheless, sugary processed foods may trigger the release of the “feel-good” neurochemical dopamine in your brain’s reward center. More dopamine could mean more cravings.
Artificial sweeteners
It’s possible that artificial sweeteners, which are much sweeter-tasting than sugar, may change people’s taste preferences over time. Some researchers think that when people get used to the hyper-sweetened taste of artificial sweeteners, their desire for sweeter foods could get stronger. In one small 2015 study, researchers tracked the desire for sweets in a group of 20 people who gave up all sweeteners, both caloric and noncaloric. After 2 weeks, 86.6 percent of them reported that they no longer had sugar cravings. This led researchers to say that doctors should recommend that their patients participate in a no-sweetener health challenge for 2 weeks.
The short answer is yes. Research shows that even when cravings are intense, resisting them can eventually lead to fewer cravings overall.
A 2016 survey of 2,932 people who were actively engaged in a weight management program revealed that more than half of them (55 percent) experienced less intense, less frequent cravings over time.
An older 2005 study found that restricting your eating too much actually led to more cravings, not less.
A 2020 research review indicated that if you reduce the calories you eat instead of eliminating certain foods completely, cravings tend to decline.
Give in!
Eating the odd square of chocolate or piece of cake on your birthday is probably not going to damage your health. And it can be good for your mental health to savor something luscious now and then. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, health experts say that the occasional sweet indulgence is fine — just not every day.
Glance at the label
Sometimes a reality check can curb your craving. If you’re craving something that has a packaging label, look closely at the nutritional content, so you can make an informed choice about what to eat.
Take a quick walk
A 2015 study showed that a brief 15-minute walk could cut the cravings. As a bonus, the walk could pep you up more than a cookie or brownie anyway.
If sugar cravings are driving your daily stress levels up too high, or if you are concerned you may be eating too much sugar, it might be a good opportunity to talk with a:
•healthcare provider
•therapist
•nutritionist
Sugar cravings on their own are probably not an indication of a health concern. In fact, they’re one of the most common cravings people experience.
You could be craving sweets because you’re:
•used to eating them
•associating them with certain life events
•tired
•stressed
Jun 30, 2024 · Sugar cravings are often caused by imbalances in blood glucose levels. Low blood sugar levels might cause you to crave something sweet in order to bring up these levels. Other factors that can play a role include psychological stress, medications, hormone imbalances, and health conditions.
- Nancy Schimelpfening
May 15, 2024 · If you find yourself feeling dizzy without sugar or having chronically strong cravings, it's time to tap a professional, as it could indicate a deeper nutritional problem. For instance, intense and (seemingly) unchangeable sugar cravings may stem from a blood-sugar imbalance, like hypoglycemia.
People also ask
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This craving can be due to a variety of reasons including diet, lifestyle and environmental cues. For more on why you’re craving sugar, scroll down to read up on the four most common causes and what to do when that sweet tooth strikes. 5 Reasons You Have Sugar Cravings. 1. Sugar Craving Cause: You didn’t eat enough, or you ate the wrong things.
