Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review

Br J Sports Med. 2018 Jul;52(14):910-913. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097971. Epub 2017 Aug 23.

Abstract

In animal studies, sugar has been found to produce more symptoms than is required to be considered an addictive substance. Animal data has shown significant overlap between the consumption of added sugars and drug-like effects, including bingeing, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, cross-sensitisation, cross-tolerance, cross-dependence, reward and opioid effects. Sugar addiction seems to be dependence to the natural endogenous opioids that get released upon sugar intake. In both animals and humans, the evidence in the literature shows substantial parallels and overlap between drugs of abuse and sugar, from the standpoint of brain neurochemistry as well as behaviour.

Keywords: sugar.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Addictive*
  • Brain Chemistry
  • Dietary Carbohydrates / adverse effects
  • Dietary Carbohydrates / pharmacology*
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Humans
  • Sugars / adverse effects
  • Sugars / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Sugars