Preparing the Immune System for Fall and Winter
Chris D. Meletis, ND (with permission from cpmedical.net, access pin: 587556)
Anyone who suffers from carbohydrate and sugar cravings knows that it can seem like torture to try to resist them. Yet, doing so can be an important step in achieving optimal health and weight and can improve overall energy levels.
The desire to consume breads, pastries, cakes, and pizza can at times seem overpowering, and indeed, some studies have compared sugar cravings with the need to consume addictive drugs. In one study, animals with repeated, intermittent access to a sugar solution developed behaviors and brain changes similar to the effects of some drugs of abuse. This study served as the first animal model of food addiction.1
Another study showed that in animals, sugar is more addictive than cocaine. When rodents were allowed to choose mutually exclusively between sugar water and intravenous cocaine, 94 percent of the animals chose sugar. The same results were seen when the rats were allowed to choose between water sweetened with saccharin—an intense calorie-free sweetener—and cocaine. Even cocaine-addicted rats switched their preference to sugar, once the sweetener was available as a choice. The rats were also more willing to work for sugar than for cocaine.2
