Why Do I Love Sugar So Much?

This is an article in a series about my struggles with diabetes.

Recently, I thought about my confounding addiction to sugar. Why is it so difficult to ditch?

How does sugar make me feel? What does sweet really mean?

Well, I believe that sugar does more than just taste good. Yes, I like the taste, but I also describe it as airy and buzzy. I suspect that sugar hitting my tongue reminds me of countless rewarding sugar consumption events. Sugar is a learned love. Like most American kids, I rewarded myself with sugar-bombs. I still do in my fifties. There is a connection there…I guess I would call it the psychological sugar reinforcement.

But there is more. According to National Geographic, the first thing sugar does to your body after you eat it is that it floods your brain with dopamine. Just so we all know what we’re talking about here…this is what the internet says: “Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter because it is involved in the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It helps to create feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively.”

So, sugar makes me feel good because I was raised with sugar as a reward…AND it chemically juices my brain to feel good. So, even f I wasn’t trained to love sugar, it would still feel pretty good.

It’s like sugar is irresistible due to nature (it is chemically-rigged) and nurture (it is part of growing up in America.) I read somewhere that sugar is the number one crop in the world.

Yet, every doctor I have met in the last twenty years has told me to cut back on sugar intake. The stuff is ruining my body from the inside out. I think the most potent image I can muster is that it is destroying (slowly) my blood vessels. I am no rocket scientist, but that sounds like a bad deal.

So, I am beginning this exploration of my Diabetes Life with an understanding of the enemy – sugar.

Here is what the AI summarizer says. Pretty clear:

Our love for sugar is deeply rooted in both biology and psychology. Here are a few key reasons:

  1. Evolutionary Perspective: Early humans relied on sweet foods like fruits as a source of quick energy. Sweetness often indicated that food was safe to eat and packed with calories, which were crucial for survival in environments where food was scarce.
  2. Brain Chemistry: When we eat sugar, it stimulates the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This creates feelings of happiness and satisfaction, encouraging us to seek out more sugary foods.
  3. Emotional Comfort: Many people turn to sugary treats for comfort and stress relief. Sugar can temporarily improve mood and reduce feelings of stress or anxiety.
  4. Cultural and Social Factors: Sweet foods are often associated with celebrations, traditions, and social gatherings. Think of birthday cakes, holiday desserts, or treats shared with friends. These positive associations reinforce our preference for sugary foods.
  5. Food Industry Practices: Sugar is added to many processed foods to enhance flavor and increase appeal. This can lead to increased consumption and a stronger preference for sweet tastes over time.

Links

So, What About Sugar Substitutes?

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Pablo Cain

Pablo Cain is a writer who shares his thoughts about health, culture and American life.

 

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