Sugar is Addictive - It's Official

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Dec 13th 2008 10:00AM

Sugar bingeing can lead to sugar addiction, a new study finds. As for reactions to the news? No one is surprised, least of all me, currently recovering from a binge of my own while on vacation at one of those all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. Oh, Pina Coladas, how I miss thee.

Anyway. The study monitored the effect of sugar bingeing on behaviour in mice, and the ultimate conclusion drawn was that after a sugar binge, absence made the heart grow fonder. Furthermore, when the sugar was taken away, folks actually went into withdrawal -- teeth chattering and all. Evidently, a sugar binge changed the chemistry of their brain for good. Scary stuff, huh?

So is there any hope for those of us who are trying to change our sugary ways? You can break the cycle of addiction. There's only one way to do it, man -- cold turkey.

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Jonni Good 12-26-2008 @ 4:12PM

Martha, I totally agree with you - sugar addiction is real, and many of us have known it for years. However, I'm really happy to see that researchers are finally taking it seriously, because sugar is so dangerous to our health. As I see it, there are three ways to overcome a sugar habit (and I've written extensively about all three). One: train your brain to stay conscious of your choices, so you realize that you're reaching for a sugary snack before you eat it. Second, restrict the number of food choices you need to make at every meal. And third, eat only the foods that can help reduce or eliminate the cravings. Getting over any addiction isn't easy, but it can be done.