Cravings for Sugars and Simple Carbohydrates and BED

Contributor:  Rachel Collins, LPC, guest contributor for Eating Disorder Hope

Is sugar an addiction like that of marijuana or alcohol? Could an addiction to sugar be linked to incidences of binge eating disorder? It is thought that craving sugars and carbohydrates is because a person is considered sugar sensitive.

When a person is biochemically sugar sensitive it is nearly impossible to eat sugars in moderation. To combat this sensitivity, food cannot be used to soothe emotions and other outlets must be sought.

Distancing from sugar can help curb the issue (Pitman, 2010). However, when one eats for emotional reasons, the food items tend to have a high sugar concentration and a sugar sensitivity can make it difficult to stop the binge mirroring binge eating disorder.

Sugar Withdrawl

A typical binge eating episode features foods that are often high in fat and sugar. Sugars and fats both have different effects on behavior. Many of the behaviors and neurochemical changes associated with drug addiction have also been found in research with animals (i.e. rats) who engaged in sugar binging.

The research shows similar signs between drug withdrawal and sugar withdrawal similar to those signs indicative of opiate withdrawal (Avena, Rada, & Hoebel, 2009).

When withdrawal is experienced, that person often wants to get back the feeling when the drug, in this case sugar, was present in the system to avoid the affects as it sources in the body become depleted. This need for more sugar then leads to another binge eating episode. 

Opioids are produced from the digestion of excess sugars consumed during a binging episode. Studies of overweight adults has shown that adults identified craving high sugar foods as a trigger to a binge eating episode.

Drugs such as naloxone have been found to cause the blocking of opiates which leads those adults who participated in the research to have less cravings for food high in sugars (Cheren, Foushi, Gudmundsdotter, Hillock, Lerner, Prager, Rice, Walsh & Werdell, 2009).

There is enough evidence to say that some people have a physiological based craving rather than a psychological, social or environmentally based cravings that lead to binge eating episodes.

If behavior modification or talk therapy cannot adjust the issues with binge eating, a more chemically based approach through use of medication may be necessary to curb the physiological craving (Cheren, Foushi, Gudmundsdotter, Hillock, Lerner, Prager, Rice, Walsh & Werdell, 2009).

It is worth noting the possible differences is diagnosing binge eating disorder as it may not strictly be behavioral in nature but could be based on physiological differences similar to those found in other addictions.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

Have you struggled with an addiction to sugar or carbohydrates?  Were the binges associated with carbohydrates and sugars associated with emotions?

References:

1. Avena, N.M., Rada, P., & Hoebel, B.G. (2009). Sugar and fat bingeing have notable differences in addictive-like behavior. Journal of Nutrition, 139(3), 623-628.
2. Cheren, M., Foushi, M.,  Gudmundsdotter, E.H.,  Hillock, C.,  Lerner, M.,  Prager, M.,  Rice, M.,  Walsh, L., & Werdell, P. (2009). Physical craving and food addiction: A scientific review paper. The Food Addiction Institute, Sarasota, FL.
3. Pitman, K.R. (2010). Addicted to sugar? 4 things you need to heal. Available from: http://growinghumankindness.com/im-addicted-to-sugar-what-do-i-do-first/ 

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders.  These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.  We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.  If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on September 18, 2015. Published on EatingDisorderHope.com