Excessive desire to eat sweets: what can it indicate and how to deal with it? – GOOD SHAPE

Candies, chocolates, gum, cakes. It’s hard to find anyone who can resist these goodies. After all, they are incredibly delicious. In general, the desire to eat sweets is completely normal, however, when in excess, it can indicate some problems and even cause damage to health.

“The excessive desire to eat sweets can be related to various cultural factors, organic diseases or even emotional problems. People who are used to ingesting sweets in excess since childhood, due to their food culture, may not realize that they exceed. Also, it can indicate diabetes. The individual feeds and remains hungry because he does not have insulin to put glucose into the cells, which generates more desire to eat sweets and more hunger. People with a tendency to binge eating, anxiety and depression can also have an excessive desire for sweets, because it generates a certain satiety and satisfaction”, explains Nêuton Magalhães, neurologist and professor of the Medicine course at the University Center of João Pessoa (Unipê).

EFFECTS OF SWEET ON THE BRAIN

According to the expert, sweets activate the brain’s pleasure, satisfaction and reward area, promoting a sense of well-being and combating stress. Therefore, these foods can be used as “escape valves” to face situations of depressed mood or anxiety.

Chocolate, for example, contributes to the release of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that are called “hormones of happiness”.

Considering that sweets stimulate the brain’s reward circuit, the tendency is for our body to crave these foods more and more, and this addiction can generate some physical symptoms, such as headaches and exhaustion.

“Often, we are upset about something and we think of giving ourselves a treat, either by eating or drinking. Sugar, like alcoholic beverages, activates areas of the brain that are highly pleasurable and can cause addiction,” adds the Liliana Segerclinical psychologist with a PhD in Psychology from the Institute of Psychology at USP.

HEALTH PROBLEMS

Obesity, type 2 diabetes, cavities, cardiovascular diseases, circulatory problems and fat in the liver are among the main damages that sugar can bring to the functioning of the organism.

In addition to all these physical damage, excessive consumption of sweets is also associated with mental health and brain problems.

“Too much sweetness can lead to spikes and crashes in blood sugar and systemic inflammation that affects your mood. The result can be a number of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, irritability and the release of stress hormones.” Patricia Alves Soares Laranutritionist specialist in oxidology and cellular biochemistry

Psychologist Liliana Seger adds that “by eating these foods, you have an improvement in your mood, but if you keep doing this more and more, you can develop the opposite and cause depression and irritability, for example”.

3 TIPS TO DRIBLE THE DESIRE TO EAT SWEETS

Patrícia lists some tactics to deal with the excessive desire to eat sweets. It is important to remember that, according to the World Health Organization, daily sugar consumption cannot exceed more than 10% of daily calories.

Have a solid breakfast: To stay balanced throughout the day, avoid sugar consumption in the morning. One suggestion is to prioritize protein-rich foods at this time of day, as they have been proven to curb cravings.
Plan your meals in advance: This prevents drops in blood sugar.
Drink plenty of water: When we are dehydrated, we feel hungrier. Therefore, it is necessary to have an adequate water intake. To make your water tasty, you can add lemon or other fruits.