Sugar Addiction: Exploring the Addictive Nature of Sugar

This argumentative essay delves into the controversial topic of sugar addiction, presenting a case for sugar's addictive nature. The essay begins by defining addiction and then argues that sugar meets the criteria for an addictive substance by examining its impact on taste, tolerance, and dependence. It highlights how sugar provides a pleasant taste, leading to increased consumption, and how tolerance develops, requiring increasing amounts to achieve the same effect. The essay also discusses the physical withdrawal symptoms associated with sugar cessation, such as weakness and depression, and how the brain responds to sugar in a manner similar to other addictive substances. Furthermore, it emphasizes the persistent consumption of sugar despite its negative health effects, including heart disease, depression, inflammation, and insulin resistance. The author concludes by recommending limited sugar intake due to its addictive properties and associated health complications. References to various research papers are also provided to support the arguments made.

Running head: SUGAR ADDICTION 1
Sugar Addiction
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

SUGAR ADDICTION 2
Sugar Addiction
Whether sugar is addictive or not has been a confusing narrative among various
psychological researchers across the globe. A proper understanding of this aspect can only be
drawn after proper conceptualization of the meaning of the term “addiction.” Addiction refers to
the physical and psychological inability to stop consuming a drug, substance, chemical or
activity despite the associated harm. Therefore, this paper is set as a supportive argumentative
essay in the protection of the narrative, "sugar is addictive."
Following the internalization of the term addiction, an addictive substance is one which
induces a pleasant taste, initiates tolerance and causes dependence. Tolerance means that
increasing amounts are required in order to maintain the same pleasant effect of the substance.
On the other hand, independence refers to the aspect whereby withdrawal from the substance
physical withdrawal symptoms. This argument regarding sugar as an addictive substance is
highly connected to the definition of an addictive substance.
Firstly, sugar causes a pleasant taste which is a significant reason why people get hooked
to it. The taste buds which are usually small receptors located on the tongue tend to respond to
various substances including sugar. There is a likelihood of having a lower affinity to sugar if the
taste buds of an individual are not working properly. Otherwise, some individuals tend to add
more sugar in the food, so as to taste better when they have lost their taste (NIDCD, 2018). Such
habits are clear indications that sugar is has a pleasant taste that makes people to get hooked to it.
There is no doubt that individuals like sugar due to its pleasant taste. In North America,
individuals eat sugar at the rate of one hundred and fifty pounds per person in a year (McGill,
2019). Even though evidence shows that the great calories from sugar results in diabetes,

SUGAR ADDICTION 3
individuals do not hesitate to add sugar into their tea. Therefore, it is clear that sugar meets the
first merit of an addictive substance as it induces a pleasant taste.
The second aspect of an addictive substance circumnavigates “tolerance.” It is clear that
sugar is required in increasing amounts in order to maintain a pleasant taste. The concentration of
sugar in the meal determines the taste and palatability of the proceeding meal (Avena, Rada, &
Hoebel, 2008) For instance when the initial meal has plenty of sugar than the proceeding meal,
then the proceeding meal will ultimately become tasteless. If the concentration of sugar in the
proceeding meal is lower than the concentration of sugar in the initial meal, then the proceeding
meal becomes tastier (LMN, 2017). For instance, an individual will require to add more sugar in
tea to maintain a pleasant taste after taking sweats and sugarcane unlike when the individual had
taken a sugar-free meal (Wideman, Nadzam, & Murphy, 2005). This aspect of concentration
differences as a determinant of taste illustrates the aspect of tolerance in sugar. Sugar is required
in progressively higher amounts to maintain the pleasant taste. It is therefore clear that sugar
meets the second qualification of an addictive substance.
The third aspect of an addictive substance is independence. Independence refers to the
aspect whereby withdrawal from a substance leads to physical effects. Firstly, withdrawal from
sugar makes an individual become weak and potentially depressed. Usually, plenty of sugar
intake makes the blood sugar level to rise rapidly. However, the glucose and endorphins created
in the body are not maintained for long. Therefore, a sharp drop is expected upon withdrawal. As
a result of the drop in one’s energy level, one will feel depressed, weak and lethargic. Therefore,
it is clear that sugar is addictive as its withdrawal leads to physical effects on the body.
Secondly, even though sugar is neither a drug nor a chemical substance, the brain acts on
it in the same manner as in the other addictive substances. The brain requires sugar (glucose) for

SUGAR ADDICTION 4
running the metabolic activities in the body. Therefore, withdrawal from sugar makes the brain
to struggle in working effectively. It is clear that the hypothalamus plays a significant role in
sugar cravings and addiction. Upon withdrawal from sugar, the mind will force the individual to
feed on some sugary meals more than the others (Ziauddeen, & Fletcher, 2013). As a result, the
individual may end up making a wrong dietary decision. Overeating of some sugary meals while
neglecting the less sugary meals is an indication of sugar addiction (Schulte, et, al., 2018). This
aspect illustrates the fact that one cannot do without sugar. Therefore, taking sugar is a
fundamental approach to regaining the normal functioning of the body. In other words,
withdrawal from sugar greatly alters the normal functioning of the body. This is a clear
indication that sugar is an addictive substance.
Finally, a substance is regarded as addictive if it is characterized by persistent
consumption regardless of the negative side effects associated with it. Sugar is associated with
plenty of unimaginable side effects. For instance, sugar can lead to death. Death as a result of
sugar is a rare incidence but very practical in the current world. For instance, research indicates
that individuals who gain 25% of their calories from sugar are twice most likely to die from the
heart disease compared to individuals who gain 10% of their calories from sugar (Sweetdegfeat,
2019). Also, sugar is greatly associated with depression. Frequent consumption of sugar results
in periodic fluctuation of the blood sugar levels. This will cause the mood of an individual to
swing all over the place. As a result, an individual develops depression. Also, excess sugar
results in inflation. Inflation is the biggest influence of chronic conditions. Inflation occurs when
the body is undergoing the healing process. As already mentioned, excess sugar leads to
abnormality in the normal functioning of the body thus causing the mind to initiate a recovery
response plan. Inflation may arise during this process (Ahmed, Guillem, & Vandaele, 2013).

SUGAR ADDICTION 5
Excess sugar also leads to reduced immune system functioning (Wiss, Avena, & Rada, 2018).
Excess sugar can prevent an individual from getting adequate sleep in the night thus negatively
impacting the immune system. Last but not least, excess sugar leads to insulin resistance. The
end result of insulin resistance can be the development of diabetes type 2 (Benton, 2019).
However, despite all these challenges, people are still persistent in taking execs sugar. For
instance, 70% of the people in America take in excess sugar. It sounds naïve and irrational since
America is one of the continents across the globe where diabetes type 2 is a fundamental issue.
However, this does not change the statistics of excess sugar intake in the country. Such an
illustration of persistence is a clear indicator of sugar addiction.
In conclusion, sugar is an addictive substance. Even though sugar is neither classified as a
drug nor a chemical substance, it fully complies with the definition of an addictive substance.
The aspect of initiating a pleasant taste has been fully impressed by sugar whereby every
individual across the globe anticipates adding sugar as a sweetener in meals. Most people like
sugar and surgery meals due to its sweet taste. Secondly, sugar impresses tolerance whereby
progressively increasing amounts have to be taken to maintain the taste. This aspect has been
illustrated through the ability of sugar concentration to define the degree of sweetness.
Furthermore, sugar empresses' independence whereby withdrawal is associated with a set of
physical effects on the body of an individual. Finally, sugar impresses persistence regardless of
its associated side effects. Therefore, I would recommend for limited intake of sugary meals due
to its addictive nature accompanying the huge health complications.

SUGAR ADDICTION 6
References
Ahmed, S. H., Guillem, K., & Vandaele, Y. (2013). Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar
analogy to the limit. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 16(4), 434-
439.
Avena, N. M., Rada, P., & Hoebel, B. G. (2008). Evidence for sugar addiction: behavioural and
neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake. Neuroscience &
Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 20-39.
Benton, D. (2019). The plausibility of sugar addiction and its role in obesity and eating
disorders. Clinical Nutrition, 29, 288-303. https://doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2009.12.001.
LMN (2017). The effect of excess sugar on appetite [online]. Retrieved from:
http://www.leanmachinenutrition.com/blog/2017/2/28/the-effect-of-excess-sugar-on-
appetite
McGill (2019). Is sugar Addictive [online]? Retrieved from:
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-you-asked/sugar-addictive
NIDCD (2018). Taste disorders [online]. Retrieved from:
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/taste-disorders
Schulte, E. M., Jacques-Tiura, A. J. J., Gearhardt, A. N., & Naar, S. (2018). Food addiction
prevalence and concurrent validity in African American adolescents with obesity.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 32, 187-196. https://doi:10.1037/adb0000325.
Wideman, C. H., Nadzam, G. R., & Murphy, H. M. (2005). Implications of an animal model of
sugar addiction, withdrawal and relapse for human health. Nutritional Neuroscience, 8(5-
6), 269-276.

SUGAR ADDICTION 7
Wiss, D. A., Avena, N., & Rada, P. (2018). Sugar addiction: From evolution to revolution.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 1-16. https://doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00545.
Ziauddeen, H., & Fletcher, P. C. (2013). Is food addiction a valid and useful concept? obesity
reviews, 14(1), 19-28.