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Sugar Addiction and Its Negative Effects

Sugar, although not always consumed directly, has become an inevitable part of peoples diet. Currently, it comprises more than 10% of ones daily calorie intake, whereas the recommended dose should not exceed 5% of an average ratio (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Such an increase in sugar consumption happens due to two major reasons. First, many people do not realize that the majority of food consists of added sugars, even if the food itself is not sweet. Sugars are divided into two major groups: natural sugars such as lactose and fructose and added sugars used to sweeten the products artificially (Jacques et al.). Second, sugar consumption develops a solid predisposition to addiction and craving. Thus, increased consumption of sugar contributes to the release of dopamine to the body, contributing to the risk of craving.

The researchers have estimated that sugar has a significant impact on the human brain, with uncontrolled consumption leading to addiction and cognitive impairments. As Jacques et al. (2019) state, sugar consumption, while required by the brain to promote cognitive development, is also consumed by people for the sake of pleasure and mere comfort. Added sugars have an extremely strong dopamine response, as the consumption of sugar helps the brain release dopamine to the blood. The dependence on dopamine release grows unprecedentedly and contributes to the emergence of cravings and a higher tolerance for sugar intake, demanding a more significant sugar dose for the hormone release. Hence, the consumption of added sugars has the properties of addiction, as it consists of a dopamine reward system and has severe withdrawal symptoms. For example, in a study analyzing withdrawal from sugar-sweetened beverages among adolescents, the findings indicate that during SSB cessation, adolescents reported increased SSB cravings and headache and decreased motivation, contentment, ability to concentrate, and overall well-being (Falbe et al. 1). For this reason, it is necessary to address sugar dependence as any other hazardous brain addiction.

There exists an argument that despite having the properties of severe addiction, sugar, unlike other hazardous substances, remains legal. However, when compared to the tobacco and alcohol industry, the consumption of sugar is more complicated because glucose remains crucial for ones cognitive development. Tobacco and alcohol consumption do not present any value to the cognitive and emotional well-being of an individual, and, in most cases, they tend to interfere with peoples homeostasis. On the other hand, restrictions on sugar lead to glucose deficiency, resulting in a lack of body energy and the inability to function properly.

For this reason, the suggestion to impose restrictions on sugar intake is risky due to the fact that every individual has an individual metabolism pattern, and there is no commonly accepted norm of glucose required by the body. However, in order to avoid the adverse effects of sugar intake, a plausible suggestion would be to increase taxation on beverages with added sugars and other hazardous products. In the example of Australia, it has been demonstrated that such an initiative contributes to the reduced consumption of sugary drinks (Allen and Allen). Considering the information above, it can be concluded that sugar, while impossible to eliminate from the diet, should be regulated by health care professionals, individuals, and, in some cases, public authorities. Excessive sugar intake is a detrimental addiction that should be addressed through education rather than an explicit ban.

Works Cited

Allen, William MK, and Katrina J. Allen. Should Australia tax sugarsweetened beverages? Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, vol. 56, no. 1, 2020, pp. 8-15.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. CDC, 2021, Web.

Falbe, Jennifer, et al. Potentially Addictive Properties of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among Adolescents. Appetite, vol.133, 2019, pp. 130-137.

Jacques, Angela, et al. The Impact of Sugar Consumption on Stress Driven, Emotional and Addictive Behaviors. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 103, 2019, pp. 178-199.

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