Saying no to cocktails with friends and red wine with dinner are obvious and foreseen challenges, but battling a sudden new sugar craving may be less expected. Here’s the scientific rationale for your newly adopted sweet tooth. Due to evolution, this feeling of deprivation will cause the body to kick into survival mode. In response to the sudden absence of sugar, your senses will gravitate toward cookies, candy, or any other sugary snack. Additionally, sugar can mimic the effects that alcohol has on the brain. “They both increase dopamine, opioids, and serotonin release in the brain2,” integrative doctor Erika Schwartz, M.D., tells mbg. “The release is associated with a reward circuit that is activated in addiction-related behaviors, which is why alcohol and sugar are so addictive to humans.” In other words, sugar may be replacing that “buzz” you get from alcohol. A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts
