Ever tried cutting down on sugar, only to find yourself suffering from all sorts of withdrawal symptoms?
Mood swings, tiredness, and increased irritability have all been cited as side effects as giving up the white stuff, with many claiming that giving up sugar is one of the hardest habits to kick.
A recent study seems to confirm that, with researchers in Australia saying sugar affects the brain much like cocaine does.
Researchers from Queensland University of Technology have found that excessive sugar consumption increases dopamine levels in the brain, while long-term use can eventually cause them to reduce.
Dopamine is the compound that controls the reward and pleasure centres of your brain, and according to this study, the effects of long term sugar use means people need to consume higher and higher levels of sugar in order to reach the same “happy” levels to avoid falling into “mild depressive states”.
Essentially, giving up sugar could be just as difficult as going cold turkey from something like smoking or cocaine.
Neuroscientists behind the study are now saying the research indicates that drugs used to treat nicotine addiction could be used to wean sugar users off the white stuff.
Professor Bartlett, a researcher at Queensland said:
“Our study found that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs like varenicline, a prescription medication trading as Champix which treats nicotine addiction, can work the same way when it comes to sugar cravings. Like other drugs of abuse, withdrawal from chronic sucrose exposure can result in an imbalance in dopamine levels and be as difficult as going ‘cold turkey’ from them.”
Maybe the sugar tax wasn’t such a bad thing.
So there you have it, sugar could be as addictive as smoking or cocaine. Why not check out our run down of the most sugary drinks available on the high street and start planning your slow wean off sugar?
via Frinkiac.com
