Sugar, the Socially Acceptable Addictive Substance

Did you know there are about 48 different kinds of sugar? The food industry has found many ways to incorporate them into our food. That doesn’t count the sugar alcohols I wrote about last week. Nor does it include maple sugar or syrup, honey, or blackstrap molasses.

The intent behind food processing executives is to get you addicted from the cradle to the grave. The better to cull your money, honey.

I was reluctant to touch this “sacred cow,” because people will not find it a popular topic. However, if you really want to reclaim your health you need to learn about the calculated efforts to keep us buying more products. I think of Detective, Joe Friday, who said with a straight face, “Just the facts, ma’am.” So, that’s what I‘m going to give you.

Here’s something to think about. The next time you crave something sweet, “It could be an addictive itch begging to be scratched.” healthline.com. This is from an article by Brian Krans at this site (9-18-23). He explores the fact that “Sugar Is a “Drug” and Here’s How We’re Hooked.”

He speaks about a study in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Review.  It linked sugar to being a “substance of abuse.” It affects a part of your brain called the limbic system. That’s where your emotions are stimulated.

A journalist from Amsterdam wrote about sugar, saying,, “sugar is the most dangerous drug of this time.” (Paul van Der Velpen, head of that city’s health services.

So, how does sugar become a villain used by the food industry? Let’s look at what happens when you take that first sweet bite. Your tongue rejoices. We associate it with feeling good, and that’s what happens. It triggers the sensation in your brain and dopamine begins to be released. That’s one of the feel-good neurochemicals.

It goes down into your stomach where digestive juices and enzymes begin to split the molecules into a form the body can use. It then moves out to the small intestine where pancreatic enzymes begin to do a refinement work.

For one thing, some will just eat candy or drink sodas, but many will eat donuts or foods like it with other substances connected to it. It may be a desert with eggs or milk, so the whole liquid mass of food is worked on differently according to what’s in the slurry.

After some time, according to how well you chewed the food, it begins to be absorbed. As more sweet atoms go to the brain, more dopamine is excreted along with serotonin.

Serotonin is a messenger hormone-like substance that communicates with the nerve cells and glands in your brain. In an MRI, you would see parts light up here and there as the sweet molecules make their appearance. Serotonin messages throughout your whole body. 

It affects your sleep, body temperature, hunger, your mood and ability to learn, store memories, and bring them to recall. Although most of it is made in your gut, its location in the brain allows it to move more quickly.

The problem comes when you have too much sugar for the body to handle. It raises blood sugar levels throughout your body. That signals the pancreas to secrete insulin. It acts like a key to open body cells to receive the sweet molecules. 

If you’re going to exercise, it helps muscles work effectively. However, if your meal was too big and you feel like being a couch-potato, those molecules get stored in the fat tanks in the cells. (Adipose tissue).

The combination of sugar and insulin is an inflammatory irritant to the body. It can affect joints, the heart and other body organs. One problem is when the insulin does too good a job. The brain has to have a certain level of glucose to function well. 

So, when too much sugar has been escorted into the cells, the brain signals the liver to release stored sugars. That can cause a see-saw like effect on the body that’s very wearing. It contributes to a feeling of fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, irritation and other unpleasant reactions.

Dopamine also acts as both a brain chemical and hormone. It affects your memory, mood, body movement, motivation and more. It actually lessens insulin production in the pancreas. 

That can cause a problem, If there’s a big sugar hit, these two chemicals create a sense of satisfaction. However, one stimulates insulin and the other reduces its production. my.clevelandclinic.org (Serotonin)

Low dopamine and serotonin from a sugar overdose and the body reaction to it can cause emotional upheaval. Emotional areas in the brain react with confusion, lack of mental clarity and it can increase emotional fragility. Some sites believe an overdose of sugar in the body can eventually lead to symptoms of dementia.  medicalnewstoday.com  “Low dopamine may indicate early Alzheimer’s.”

How do you kick the sugar habit? Slowly lowering the amount consumed may be helpful. Taking longer to chew each bite gives the pleasure but because more saliva is produced, it may cause the stomach to feel full sooner, thereby reducing the amount you eat. It’s been said that vitamin B 6 can be helpful in lessening addictions.

The reason this may be true is this. Vitamin B6  increases the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, among many other benefits. However, it’s not wise to start taking large doses of this vitamin. Too much of a good thing can create its own challenges. It’s always best to take B vitamins as a family. You can go back and reread my column on this vitamin. It’s found in such foods as calf liver, salmon, eggs, and avocado.

There’s much to say about what sugar does in the body. I’ll share some more next time.

Meanwhile, read labels and value your body enough to consider lowering your sugar exposure.

Nancy Pidutti, Nurse, PhD, NHH, Author, Chaplain