Is it true that sugar works like a drug? This is what science says

Dependence demonstrated by some to specific substances is a frequent concern of public health authorities in different countries. Although in many parts of the world regulations prevent the use of certain psychoactive substances that can cause symptoms of addiction; there are other common substances that can generate addiction-like effects in the body.

One of them can be sugar, which is often included in the diet of many people, but can cause health problems if consumed in excess.

The very popular proposition that sugar is the same as drugs, how much scientific support does this have? The Diabetes Association of Madrid, Spain, reviewed the research that found out the effects that this substance produces in the body.

In total, he found eight studies that supported the hypothesis that sugar can indeed generate the body’s dependence on certain drugs in a similar way. Against this premise, he cited only one scientific publication.

One of the researches that found that sugar addiction was widespread in 2015 was carried out by scientists from the Department of Psychology of the University of São Paulo (Brazil) and was carried out through experiments on mice.

“Sugar consumption is thought to induce a similar relationship with addictive substances”; he warned the investigators. And they suggested that closing the gaps in the use of these drugs can lead to symptoms such as increased impulsivity, which is assessed by the difference in low performance support (DRL), a method used to reduce the frequency of behavior in someone.

Some research has evaluated the effects of sugar consumption on rats. – Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

For this reason, they focused on researching what the long-term effects of this method of sugar consumption would be.

“The animals were allowed to choose between the sound of water and a sucrose solution (group E) or only water (group C) for 30 days. The sucrose solution was then removed and DRL performance measurements were obtained for 3 consecutive days.explained the investigators.

Consuming sugars makes it easier for diseases such as diabetes. – Photo: Getty Images

The results of the document were astounded by the scholars. Mice deprived of sugar performed significantly worse in the tests.

“Sugar withdrawal after a long period of consumption relatively reduced the effect of DRL; This confirms the parallel addictive effects of drugs and sugar and suggests an increase in impulsivity as a consequence of sugar deprivation.he reads in the classroom.

Also, the Madrid Diabetes Association cited other research from the Oregon Research Institute of the United States. In it, the authors evaluated the effects that the consumption of fat and sugar had on the brain reactions of patients. In fact, sugar activated some specific areas of the brain.

“The results imply that sugar is more suitable for recruiting regions to taste and reward; suggesting that policy, prevention and treatment interventions should prioritize reductions in sugar intake.” The study authors warned.

Consuming sugar activates different areas of the brain. – Photo: Getty Images

However, research that has considered sugar does not necessarily work as a medication for assessing the technique of fasting patients. This was done by experts from the University of Swansea, in the United Kingdom.

To resolve the issue, they reviewed several studies in which participants were subjected to a period of abstinence from sugar. then they evaluated the results.

“The human literature does not support the hypothesis that sucrose can be physically addictive. or that sugar addiction plays a role in eating disorders”, concluded the authors of that research.