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is being "sugar sensitive" making you depressed?

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Bluelighter
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Dec 9, 2010
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Hey guys, these last few days I've been in the process of really reevaluating my life and during which I've been trying to eat heathy (proteins, complex carbohydrates, greens, salads, etc). That said, I binged a few hours ago and had some milk and cookies. I'm now feeling a lot worse, a little sick even. This has happened to me before in similar situations, so I decided to google how sugar affects moods and look what I found.

Dr. DesMaisons maintains that the same brain chemicals that are altered by antidepressant drugs are also affected by the foods we eat. According to her, many people, including those who are depressed, are "sugar sensitive." Eating sweets gives them a temporary emotional boost, which leads to a craving for still more sweets.
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[Sugar sensitivity is] a three part problem [caused by] reactive blood sugar, low serotonin, and low beta endorphin which can all be inherited from an alcoholic or sugar sensitive parent. Each of these can make us be depressed, have mood swings and low impulse control.
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Sounds a lot like me, and it does fit with my family in particular.

White things - refined flour products such as breads and pastas. Many people who are sugar sensitive use these foods addictively but don't realize that is what is going on. They have no idea that food can affect how they feel so profoundly.
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and here I was thinking it was because we're Italian, haha.

...just as if they are a drug - sugar actually affects the same part of the brain as heroin or morphine, so we use it to feel better and have withdrawal when we don't get our drug. We only notice that we feel really good when we have sweet stuff, but don't make the connection to when we feel bad as withdrawal.

Sugar evokes beta endorphin which absolutely makes you feel better - until it wears off and then you feel depressed, but you don't make the connection of the down being an aftereffect of the sugar. The problem comes in needing more and more and more often, or in thinking that the down feelings are signs of clinical depression rather than the sugar low. Sometimes people get them mixed up and think they are not getting better, when it is the food making them feel so bad.
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People who are sugar sensitive HATE to have breakfast, because when you don't eat, your body releases beta endorphin and it makes you feel confident and strong, until it wears off!!! Then you feel horrible.
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I too have never cared much for breakfast, feeling better when I eat at lunch or in the night -- though I'm sure I'm not the only one.

So what do you guys think? Does eating sugar and what you eat affect your mood positively or negatively? I'd love to hear your thoughts! I personally am not trying to say that my love of sweets and flour products has been my source of depression over the years, but I can definitely see it making things worse and more complicated.
 
I would say negatively. The last few days, I've been on a super low carbohydrate way of eating; the carbiest thing I've had is a handful of raw nuts here and there. I'm eating lots of organic/grassfed beef, wild salmon, free run eggs, drinking a lot of water - and for fuel, so I don't burn up my scant fat reserves, as I'm quite lean, I'm using MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil, a mix of coconut and palm oil. It's utilized quickly by the liver for energy.

I'm not doing this for weight loss, but because of yeast issues I seem to be more sensitive to carbs than some people. Even though I'm experiencing ups and downs as my body adapts (I'll probably reintroduce some low glycemic veggies soon), the experience of running on fat and protein vs. sugar (even though I never use refined crap or junk food, I'm even just talking about fruit) is very different...and I think, on the whole, better.

The mental clarity and focus is at times incredible; it even seems like my eyes are more focused. I'm not bloated.

And yes, sugar is, I think for most people, moderately to strongly addictive. I agree that it causes many ups and downs in energy levels. I'm not advising you to do one thing or the other, but I applaud any inclination you may have to reduce your intake of sugar.

Good luck!
 
Sugar is addictive, and like any addictive drug, cutting back leads to withdrawals.

One suggestion is replacing sugar with Stevita!

For me the best way to get over my sugar addiction is tapering off. I'm still not over it, not by a long shot -- I've had a sweet tooth since Day 1, regular spooning tablespoons of the table stuff as a young'n -- but for now I follow the 90/10 plan: 90% healthy, 10% junk. So for every 9 meals I have, 1 meal I can indulge.

And the cool part is sometimes you won't feel like indulging, so you don't, and feel even better about your willpower! Weeee!

Everything in moderation. Including moderation.
 
Sugar DEFINITELY makes me depressed. No doubt about it.

It also increases my inflammation levels dramatically (I have rheumatoid arthritis).

The high is short, and the crash sucks. And yet, it is hard to stay away from. I cut out refined sugar a long time ago, but I still eat sugary fruits: bananas, berries, apples, limes/lemons, dried fruit. I'm starting realize it's actually not that much more healthy. Fruit sugar is still sugar.

Methinks I need more animal protein in my diet to keep me satiated. Unfortunately, animal meat also causes inflammation. I'm trying to reconcile this...
 
No doubt. Sugar was my first addiction. Didn't realize it until I was older, and had been through addiction with several drugs, but my first addictive patterns were deeply entrenched and almost as old as me - with the foods and drinks that made me feel good.

I still haven't beat the sugar addiction, but that and tobacco are the only ones that still have me.

Being aware of how shitty I feel a couple hours after concentrated sugars helps keep me from going overboard. Also, if you're craving something sweet, try something more natural, like an apple ... and dont eat it instead of the sweet thing you really want, but just try to make yourself eat it before. Very often the unbearable craving will be partially satiated by the natural sugars and nourishing nutrients, and you can move on. Maybe to a real meal...which is often what we're really craving.
 
+1 for the stevia recommendation. It's a really good natural sweetener. I like that it doesn't have that chemical, artificial taste as well. I use it fairly often for hot tea and it gives a sweet and almost vanilla-ish taste to it.
 
Stevia is great! Xylitol is also an awesome natural sweetener that isn't recognized as sugar by your system, and its really good for teeth, mouths freshness, and treating dry mouth.
 
...Why not just eat sugar in moderation instead of relying on these sweeteners we don't know enough about? If sugar doesn't work for you, live without it: Some people can't handle caffeine--You don't see them doing other stimulants in place of it.
 
I agree ~ although you can buy whole stevia leafs (or grow it yourself) if you want to be more sure of what youre getting.
Here's everything on Xylitol thats out there now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

I'm pretty health conscious, and am pretty well versed in naturopathy and raw food cleansing ~ so I try to know about this stuff.. but there is always the unknown... i'll admit that
 
I'm pretty skeptical about some of the claims that the book makes. It is basically applying the disease-model of addiction to sugar consumption. I thought that it fit me, because I have a tendency to eat a lot of sugar at times. But then I'll go through phases where I eat normal amounts and be fine with it.

There can be lots of reasons for craving sugar and eating excessive amounts. It does not mean that these reasons are permanent and that you have to completely avoid it for the rest of your life. Although I'm sure reducing or eliminating it if that is your preference will only benefit your health.
 
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