GeneralWhy Do You Get Sugar Cravings?

Sugar cravings are relatively common. We’ve all experienced those days where we can’t seem to satisfy our sweet tooth, and we find ourselves constantly reaching into the snack cupboard.

In the Western world, it’s not uncommon to hear of sugar addiction. Sugar is added to lots of foods in the grocery store to make them more palatable and pleasurable to eat. Consuming too much sugar can increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Let’s take a look at what causes sugar cravings and how you can go about reducing sugar cravings.

What Causes Sugar Cravings?

There are lots of reasons why you might experience strong cravings for sugary foods and drinks. Identifying why you’re getting cravings makes it easier to eliminate them. Here are some of the most common causes of sugar cravings.

Your brain

Several parts of your brain are involved in food cravings and satisfaction, including the hippocampus, caudate nucleus, and insula. These areas of the brain are responsible for interpreting different tastes, and activating emotional responses and reward responses when you eat delicious foods.

When you eat high-sugar foods, the reward response is strong and this causes your brain to seek out similar behaviors. As a result, you find yourself reaching for sugary foods over and over again to experience the same pleasurable hit of dopamine.

Stress

For a lot of people, stress causes strong cravings. You might find that food is comforting and calming for you during difficult times. This is partly because of the way food and stress impact your hormones.

When you’re highly stressed, the levels of cortisol in your blood increase, and this can directly increase the levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin. High ghrelin leads to increased appetite and stronger cravings for high-sugar and high-fat foods.

Fluctuations in reproductive hormones

Speaking of hormones, women’s reproductive hormones can play a key role in your hunger and cravings. If you’re a woman with a regular menstrual cycle, you might resonate with the feelings of endless hunger that come along with your period.

Just before your period, estrogen and progesterone are high, and these hormones are responsible for causing strong cravings for sugary and fatty foods. In particular, you might find that you crave chocolate just before your period because this particular food can elevate your mood and lower cortisol.

How to Effectively Manage Your Sugar Cravings

If you regularly experience strong sugar cravings, here are some things that you can do to tackle them:

• Eat a nutrient-dense diet to reduce nutritional deficiencies.
• Swap sugary snacks for healthier options, such as fruit, nuts, or dark chocolate.
• Manage your psychological and physical stress to lower your cortisol.
• Drink enough water. Sometimes cravings are caused by dehydration.
• Listen to your cravings and give your body what it wants! There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every now and then.