How to stop your sugar cravings?

These days, people crave sugar more; they constantly desire sweets. Let me illustrate how much sugar consumption has risen. In the 19th and 20th centuries, people consumed only 2 to 3 kilograms per year on average. They did not consume more than that in a whole year. 

In 2010, a survey on sugar intake was conducted. It revealed that people were consuming 65 to 70 kilograms of sugar per year. The University of California, USA, provided this information based on the survey conducted in 2021. They condicted the survey and provided these numbers based on that.

This indicates a significant increase in sugar consumption nowadays.

As sugar cravings rise, so does sugar intake. In the past, people thought one can be addicted to alcohol, drugs. There were addictions towards to such things, cigarettes. People addicted claimed they could not live without them. Nowadays, people are addicted to sweets, salt, and caffeine.

These are the new addictions that have emerged. When cravings strike, people feel the urge to eat them frequently throughout the day. They feel they cannot live without satisfying these cravings at any cost. The mind doesn't function properly when they don't indulge in what they crave.

They don't feel satisfied after eating, and their mind becomes disturbed when cravings go unmet. Ultimately, they contemplate going to any lengths to consume sugar. These are the symptoms of sugar cravings. Just like addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, some people are also addicted to sugar.

If someone is addicted to consuming sugar at specific times, let's explore what are the reasons behind this extreme addiction.

There are two types of hormonal changes caused by sugar cravings. The first is the sudden spike in the hormone dopamine. When you consume sweets, the high sugar content enters the bloodstream rapidly. Once the information of high sugar rise in the bloodstream enters the brain, the feel-good hormone dopamine is released in large amounts.

It is released in a large amount suddenly. When dopamine levels surge, you feel extremely happy and energetic. As dopamine levels surge, the reward center of the brain is stimulated, providing a sense of happiness. When dopamine levels spike, the first thing reward center is stimulated, causing a feeling of happiness.

As soon as you eat more sugar, the dopamine release due to sugar consumption occurs rapidly. The release of dopamine that is at normal levels will suddenly peak. After the spike, the sugar level will fall abruptly, and the dopamine level will drop below. It will fall down much lower than normal.

The brain recognizes the reason for the dopamine spike, and urges the person to consume sugar again. When the brain doesn't receive enough dopamine release, you will feel anxious and weak. Therefore, the brain encourages consuming sugar. The brain wants to consume it again. This is known as sugar cravings.

After consuming sugar regularly for 10 to 15 days, your dopamine levels get accustomed to spiking to their peak. As a result, you develop a daily addiction to it. This addiction to sugar resembles addictions to alcohol and drugs due to the sudden peak in dopamine release. 

Another reason is for sweet cravings is that, sweets made with sugar contain higher levels of tryptophan. 

High tryptophan levels prompt the brain to produce more serotonin. Serotonin is also a happy hormone. It is a good hormone to keep us stable, calm and to reduce stress. This hormone is also produced in response to sudden high sugar intake, similar to dopamine.

When serotonin levels rise beyond normal, they stimulate the brain's reward centers, leading to a habitual feeling. When the sugar in the body is utilized, serotonin levels suddenly drop. The brain recalls the happiness experienced when serotonin levels were high. Therefore, you crave sugar again.

Both these hormones peak quickly and then drop abruptly after sugar is used in the body. As the body craves sugar again, the addiction cycle continues. There are methods to reduce sugar cravings. If you change your diet and lifestyle for 30 to 50 days, you can reduce your sugar cravings significantly.

Many people habitually eat sweets after meals. I don't suggest stopping this practice altogether. Instead of sugary sweets, opt for natural alternatives like dates. Dates are a natural fruit, and sweets made with honey digest glucose release slowly. 

Another solution to completely avoid sweet cravings.

To consume roasted split coriander seeds or roasted fennel seeds after meals. This helps curb the urge for sweets. You can also chew cloves or cardamom to suppress sweet cravings. Their strong flavors can deter the desire for sweets. This is an effective remedy to reduce sweet cravings.

Another option is to consume betel leaf with areca nut, cloves, cardamom, and slaked lime immediately after meals. This combination with betel leaf reduces the urge for sweets. There is also another remedy to reduce sugar cravings. It is to keep dried amla handy and suck on it after meals.

The sourness of amla helps curb the desire for sweets and sweet cravings. Choose the remedy that suits you best to reduce sweet cravings. Even if you indulge in sweets, opt for those made with natural ingredients. They contain nutrients, are health and do not foster a sweet addiction.

Ever wondered why you don't crave fruits like mangoes, sugarcane, and dates even, after consuming them continuously for days? This is because regular sugar is an artificial sweetener that quickly enters the bloodstream. All the options I mentioned are natural sweeteners that digest slowly and release glucose gradually.

Dopamine is released steadily without sudden spikes or excessive secretion. If you consume sweets made with regular sugar, your immunity weakens, and harmful gut bacteria thrive. This leads to inflammation, elevated bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, obesity, and there will also be increased mucus production.

Conclusion:

Bad gut bacteria will also thrive which can cause various health issues. Therefore, It's best to avoid sweets made with regular sugar and reduce your cravings for them.

(Also Read - What happens when the acid level in the stomach is high?)