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Review
. 2018 Jul;52(14):910-913.
doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097971. Epub 2017 Aug 23.

Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review

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Review

Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review

James J DiNicolantonio et al. Br J Sports Med. .
Free article

Abstract

In animal studies, sugar has been found to produce more symptoms than is required to be considered an addictive substance. Animal data has shown significant overlap between the consumption of added sugars and drug-like effects, including bingeing, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, cross-sensitisation, cross-tolerance, cross-dependence, reward and opioid effects. Sugar addiction seems to be dependence to the natural endogenous opioids that get released upon sugar intake. In both animals and humans, the evidence in the literature shows substantial parallels and overlap between drugs of abuse and sugar, from the standpoint of brain neurochemistry as well as behaviour.

Keywords: sugar.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: JJD is the author of The Salt Fix and operates the website thesaltfix.com WLW sells a supplement that contains both L-glutamine and chromium picolinate. JHO’K owns and operates a nutraceutical company.

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