It is still hotly debated in the health science community whether compulsive sugar consumption is an addiction, merely a strong habit, or the root of all other addictions. A true physical and mental addiction condition will have its roots as both a chemical issue and a psychological issue. There are some notable chemical brain similarities between those with sugar habits. Likewise, people with sugar habits have a lot of mental and attitudinal similarities. Some research discounts the physical, some discounts the mental, and some credits both. Hopefully, in asking whether it is mental or physical, we’ll recognize that a sugar habit is still a serious, health threatening condition.
The Physical Aspect of the Mind
Your mind is more than simply where you think and become aware of your existence. Your mind is contained in a physical brain. It is made up of a variety of chemicals, proteins, and even fats. It is heavily dependent on oxygen for good function. But few of us realize just how heavily brain function is dependent on what we eat, when we eat, and even our attitudes while eating. All of these things impact the formation and function of brains. Something as small as a taste bud sensation alters both brain form and mind thought. So it should be of little surprise that a bite of a sugary food has physical implications for the mind.
The vast majority of plant-based sugars are complex in nature. Further, they are almost always accompanied by dietary fiber and a variety of nutrients. So when we eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, the carbohydrates contained are predominantly complex carbohydrates and the nutrients that come with these complex carbohydrates aid both in the function of the body, including the brain, and in the regulation of the digestive process itself. Complex carbohydrates thus set the brain up for near perfect function and allow us to remain in charge of our minds.
On the other hand, the sugary foods we buy are typically sweetened with the simple carbohydrates that have been extracted out of their more complex forms and environments in plant-based foods. The high, immediate dosage of sugar that comes with eating sugary foods in a simplified form results in a near-stress like response from the body. In a stress response, you receive an adrenaline rush which makes you feel a good and powerful. So by providing a little bit of a regular shock to your body with a sugar habit, you can alter your moods in a physical response not unlike those brought on by more powerful mind-altering drugs. As your health deteriorates and your body becomes depressed, you may develop an even stronger desire for sugar treatments.
The Mental Aspect of the Mind
You know that eating sugar regularly is bad for your health, yet you continue to do it. Why? Under normal circumstances, we expect to make rational decisions. A rational decision can in simple terms be defined as a decision that we believe to be good for us. So why would we continue a sugar habit?
Obviously, in the short-term at least, eating something sugary will make you feel better. In the case of a sugar habit, you’ve somehow lost the ability to put your long-term good ahead of your short-term impulses. This is often a baseline definition of addiction. If you find yourself in this situation, you probably need both mental and physical help with your sugar habit.
