Sweet tooth sugar poisoning? Clearly there is dependency on sugar as drugs

Recent studies have presented new evidence that sugar exerts similar effects on experimental animals' brains as a number of dependent drugs, causing sugar addiction.

Details are from the following.Animal Studies Show Sugar Can Be Addictive

Professor Bart Hoebel of Princeton University used rats for several yearsResearch on sugar addiction (pdf)I went there. Up to now two of the three major signs of dependence were confirmed (increased intake and withdrawal symptoms), but this timeCraving and relapseIt was confirmed that there were all the diagnostic criteria for dependence.

"If overdose of sugar is truly dependent it should have a sustained effect on the brains of sugar-dependent people.The craving and relapse are decisive elements of dependence, I was able to prove the expression of this craving and relapse in a way, "Professor Hoebel said.

In the experiment, when the supply of sugar is stopped for a certain period to the rat which habitualized intake of sugar habitually for a certain period, when we resume supply, we are willing to take the effort to obtain sugar, He told me that relapse was suggested. In addition, rats whose supply of sugar was cut off increased intake of alcohol,amphetamineIt was confirmed that a change in brain function occurred, such as excessive reaction (a remarkable hyperactivity was confirmed by a very small amount of administration in which reaction was not observed in ordinary rats).

A neurochemical change similar to a change due to a dependency substance such as cocaine, morphine, nicotine and the like occurs in the brain of a rat intake a large amount of sugar on an empty stomach. When hungry rats ingest sugar,Nucleus accumbensIntoDopamineWill be released. Pleasure by this dopamine motivates, dependence occurs by repeating sugar intake.

Rats who had been taking fasting sugar for one month had become accustomed to increased dopamine levels,Dopamine receptorIs decreased,OpioidThe structure of the brain changes as the number of receptors increases. Dopamine · opioidReward systemThis brain change is also seen in rats receiving cocaine and heroin. Rats who were discontinued from supply of sugar in the experiment showed that brain dopamine levels declined and showed anxiety as a withdrawal symptom (rattling of teeth, withdrawing in the tunnel, etc).

Although the results of this research are serious, further research is needed to adapt these mechanisms to humans. In the future it seems that there is a high possibility of being utilized in areas such as bulimia.