Are You A “Sugar Sensitive” Person?

“IT’S NOT JUST A MATTER OF WILLPOWER”

Why sugar acts like a drug.

I am sure many of you know that eating sugar is not good for your health. Not only does eating sugar, white flours and processed carbs spike our blood sugar, but the foods that contain a lot of it are nutrient-poor, fiber-stripped and inferior in quality. There are people, however, that are more sensitive to carbohydrates than others and have a more powerful blood sugar response to eating them. Because of this, they have a hard time quitting sugar or alcohol and are known as “sugar sensitive”.

According to Kathleen Des Maisons, the author of Potatoes Not Prozac, a certain percentage of our population is “sugar sensitive”. She has discovered how people with normal chemistries experience the opioid effects of sugar or alcohol as pleasant. However, for “sugar-sensitive people”, the euphoria from eating sugar or drinking alcohol can create “a strong attachment to the food or drink creating the effect”. “Sugar-sensitive” people naturally have low levels of beta-endorphins, a neurotransmitter that is a potent pain suppressant. Their brains adjust by opening many beta-endorphin receptors to “catch” what little beta-endorphin there is. So when they eat sugar or drink alcohol, they have a heightened response to these substances and in turn cause a release of beta-endorphin. Sugar and alcohol make them feel really good but because of this, are more prone to addiction. Being physically dependent on these foods result in huge mood boosts but the after effects result in depression, anxiety and exhaustion.

When “sugar sensitive” people try to avoid sugar and or alcohol, they feel terrible and hopeless. Thus, the desire to continue on the sugar rollercoaster continues. If they give in and consume it, it is hard for them to “just say no” after having one taste. Once people do try to quit sugar or alcohol, the brain will open up more beta-endorphin receptors to compensate for the reduction of beta-endorphins. Because more are open, consuming sugar or alcohol can send out a more intense response. This can create a feeling of euphoria and they slip back into sugar and alcohol consumption.

Revamping the way a sugar-sensitive person eats will help their brain chemistry come into balance. Understanding your own physiology along with correcting nutritional deficiencies can get you off the sugar/alcohol rollercoaster. It’s not just a matter of willpower.

Besides nutritional changes, other ways to increase beta-endorphins include exercise, music, sex, laughter, meditation and prayer.