Can you really be “addicted” to sugar and lose control over your consumption? Authors of popular books and websites claim it does, but so far there is no scientific data from human studies to back it up.

We know that the consumption of sugar stimulates areas of the brain associated with the reward and fun. But are they the same as those activated by taking drugs? Experiments carried out on rats indicate, indirectly, that it is. Indeed, a large consumption of sugar stimulates the same areas as the Drugs, or the so-called “opioid” receptors^2,3.

Additionally, animal trials have linked excessive sugar consumption to an increased risk of taking hard drugs and vice versa.². In 2002, Italian researchers observed symptoms and behaviors similar to those of a weaning in rats deprived of food for 12 hours, before and after having had free access to very sweet water⁴. Although these results may provide avenues for better understanding and treating eating disorders such as bulimia, they remain very experimental.

Are “sugar cravings” a symptom of addiction? There would be no physiological dependence as such, according to nutritionist Hélène Baribeau. “In my practice, I find that people who have a very strong taste for sugar are those who do not eat in a balanced way, who have irregular meal times, who skip meals or who space out their meal times a lot, she specifies. When these imbalances are corrected, the taste of sugar fades. “

The nutritionist recalls that sugar is the main fuel du brain. “When there is a small drop in sugar in the body, it is first the brain that is lacking,” she says. The taste of sugar comes at this point, accompanied by a drop in concentration and irritability ”. In particular, she suggests taking snacks, so as not to deprive the body of food for more than four consecutive hours.

For those addicted to a sweet taste, psychological factors rather than physiological can play. “Sweet foods are a sweetness associated with pleasure and people can be ‘addicted’ to that,” says Hélène Baribeau.

Sweet foods are indeed seen as a reward, according to Simone Lemieux, researcher at the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF)⁵. “Children learn that if they finish their meal or their vegetables, they are going to deserve a dessert and, in other circumstances, they are rewarded by offering them a candy. This training allows them to associate sweet foods with comfort and this imprint remains very strong, ”she says.

Is this psychological dependence less serious than a physiological dependence and is it as difficult to treat? We can assume that everything depends on its intensity and its consequences on everyone’s waistline.