What Causes Sugar Cravings/Addiction? + 5 Ways To Stop Instantly

Knowing The Causes Of Sugar Addiction Might Just Save You From Something Serious.

Sugar cravings are the hardest to resist!

Think about it…if you are sugar-addicted, don’t you get restless even at the thought of avoiding jellybeans?

But to be honest, we all have been through this. Most people have experienced sugar cravings at some point in their lives.

It’s because of the causes of sugar addiction which could be anything from an unhealthy body to an unhealthy mind to vitamin deficiency. 

But sugar addiction is clearly not as simple as it looks. There could be something major hidden behind your sugar addiction symptoms.

And because sugar cravings are more like an addiction, if left untreated, it could be life-threatening. Hence, it’s of utmost importance to find out how to stop sugar cravings instantly.

Moreover, the key to treating sugar cravings is to first know about the causes of sugar cravings. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Scroll down to read some of the most common causes of sugar addiction.

What Causes Sugar Addiction? [10 Reasons]

Who doesn’t like sugar these days?

And the more you consume sugar the more your brain tricks you to eat it.

But over sugar eating behavior can soon turn into sugar addiction.

Importantly, it could be a sign of something happening within your body both physically and mentally.

Here are the top 10 causes of sugar addiction:

#1. Lack Of Quality Sleep

#2. Not Consuming Enough Calories

#3. High Sugar Consumption

#4. Mineral Deficiency

#5. Lack Of Macronutrients

#6. Avoiding Meals

#7. Stress And Depression

#8. More Sodium Consumption

#9. Dehydration

#10. Low Blood Sugar And Insulin Resistance

Let’s discuss these 10 causes of sugar cravings in detail.

#1. Lack Of Quality Sleep

Considering today’s lifestyle pattern, it’s easy to guess that lack of sleep is one of the prominent reasons behind the causes of sugar cravings.

A sound sleep is the only way your body recovers and rejuvenates itself from most of the stress.

Sleep deprivation causes hormonal imbalance and increases the intensity of your sugar cravings.

Moreover, lack of sleep triggers hormones like ghrelin and leptin and when these hormones went off track, sugar addiction takes place.

#2. Not Consuming Enough Calories

People these days in the race to achieve zero-figure keep their body on a strict diet.

Without professional consultation, they keep on cutting calories in the name of consuming healthy food.

Nevertheless, lack of calories can lead to a lack of energy and the body start to look for ways to fuel itself.

So, ultimately your body tricks you to eat sugar for instant energy.

#3. High Sugar Consumption

There is a reason why sugar is called the “white death” or “sweet poison”. 

The more you take it the more you won’t crave it.

If you keep satisfying your sweet tooth, in no time it can smoothly turn into a sugar addict.

If you often eat sweets, take sugary drinks in your snack time, or eat a chocolate bar to satisfy your night cravings, there are higher chances of it being sugar addiction.

Instead, you can replace it with healthy drinks with natural sweeteners.

You can burn excess weight you gained because of sugar, with the help of green tea and coffee. The benefits of green coffee for weight loss are proven by studies.

#4. Vitamin And Mineral Deficiency

It’s not a common assumption but also a fact that craving for something could be a sign of deficiency.

So, what deficiency causes sugar cravings?

Iron is one of the minerals that result in a lack of energy and triggers sugar cravings.

Apart from this, deficiency of minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and chromium also causes sugar addiction.

Moving on, what vitamin deficiency causes sugar cravings?

Talking about vitamins, when your body lacks vitamin B12, you get a fatigued feeling which causes you to eat sugar. 

#5. Lack Of Macronutrients

Most of the time your body feels low on energy because of a lack of macro-nutrients i.e. carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Surviving on a low-protein diet can make you crave sugar. When your diet is low on proteins and fats, your body can crash and feel the sudden urge to eat something sweet.

Adding to it, in the absence of proteins and fats, the consumption of simple carbs can result in the decline of satiety. Which in turn can increase your craving particularly sugar cravings.

#6. Avoiding And Skipping Meals

If you think avoiding and skipping meals is keeping you away from consuming unhealthy, you are absolutely wrong.

This habit of yours in turn makes you eat more sugar.

When you keep yourself from eating, your body gets low on energy and craves sugar to meet the immediate energy requirement.

In the same way, skipping meals or a long duration between two meals can also cause sugar cravings.

#7. Stress And Depression

This needs no scientific argument.

Think it yourself. When you are sad, depressed, or simply feel low, what’s the first thing that you pull out of your fridge? Ice cream maybe, right?

When you are stressed your body releases cortisol and makes you divulge into sugar.

It looks like cortisol has a sweet tooth too!

#8. More Sodium Consumption

It may sound absurd at first but if you habitually eat packaged foods, processed foods, or are a fan of foods with high sodium, you are more likely to have a high sugar craving.

In simple words, the high your sodium consumption, the more your sugar craving is.

So, the chips and fries you have been munching on were the causes of sugar addiction.

In case you were wondering.

#9. Dehydration

Who knew dehydration could make it to the list of what causes sugar cravings.

But is a fact that dehydration and sugar addiction are related.

When you’re dehydrated, your body uses energy stores and glycogen to fuel itself. This can cause sugar cravings.

Adding to it, dehydration hampers the release of serotonin, which tricks the mind and sends false hunger signals even when you are not hungry.

#10. Low Blood Sugar 

Sugar is a great example of a simple carbohydrate. It gets digested easily and dissolves in the blood in no time.

Probably the reason why it’s your body’s favorite.

Nevertheless, when your blood sugar gets low, it’s obvious that your body will crave for nothing but something sugary for the instant spike in blood sugar.

The low blood sugar level is one of the medical reasons for sugar cravings, another is insulin resistance that can create an endless tunnel of sugar cravings.

After realizing the effect of sugar on stimulating energy levels, it may happen that the person starts to consume sugar and get addicted to it. 

So, how much sugar should you have a day?

The American Heart Association recommends nearly 6 tablespoons of sugar for women and 9 tablespoons for men in a day.

Sugar addiction is no joke!

If persisted for a longer period, it becomes more than difficult to come out of it. Not only this, it is a home of many health hazards obesity, Alzheimer’s, ADHD to name a few.

Hence, it’s more important to know how to stop sugar cravings immediately and work on them.

How To Stop Sugar Cravings Immediately? [5 Ways]

If you have identified your sugar craving habit, the next would be to get rid of it or simply take control of it immediately.

Here are 5 ways to stop sugar cravings immediately.

#1. Say Hi! To Healthy Balanced Diet

The more your diet is balanced the less your body will feel inclined towards sugar cravings.

Add proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber-rich foods to your diet and stay on the positive side of energy to avoid continuous sugar cravings which might lead to sugar addiction.

#2. Slay The Stress-Free Life

Try to take as less stress as possible. Stress does no good to you, neither physically nor mentally.

The stress hormone is a sugar lover and keeping yourself stress-free can help you get rid of sugar cravings.

And considering the dominance of stress on your health, it’s vital to know how to relieve long-term stress.

You can try meditation, a hot water bath, deep breathing, or simply playing with pet animals to release all the stress.

#3. Dare To Drink More

Staying hydrated is not only the easiest but also the most effective way to stop sugar cravings immediately.

Curb the urge to eat something sweet with plain water.

Also, inculcating this habit can help you stay away from sugary drinks.

#4. Stop Counting Calories

Don’t unnecessarily cut your calorie intake.

Keep feeding your body with healthy calories and maintain your energy level.

The fact that lack of energy often ends at eating something sweet, maintaining your energy can be of a lot of help in dealing with sugar addiction.

#5. Say Bye! To Sleepless Nights

All work no play makes you a dull boy!

Well, your body needs to rejuvenate itself with all the stress it has to go through in a whole day.

And the natural way for the body to combat physical and mental strain is to get some sleep.

A good amount of sleep can maintain the hormonal balance and keep your sugar cravings on the right line.

These were some of the ways to take control of your sugar addiction immediately. Apart from these, you can also:

• Try medicinal drugs to treat sugar addiction
• Adapt to mindful eating
• Cut artificial sweeteners
• Stay active

If can’t stop thinking about something sweet to eat, it’s now time to identify the causes of sugar cravings before it turns into an addiction. 

Before It’s Too Late!

Your sugar cravings may seem normal at first.

However, if it continues to stay, it could be a sign that your body is going through something.

It could be anything from mineral deficiency, bad habits, dehydration, or simply too much stress.

There is no way one can completely ignore sugar in their diet.

It is instilled in your body from the time you drink breast milk. If taken adequately it has its own benefits.

Excess of anything is bad.

Your sugar addiction is more than just having a sweet tooth!

I hope you liked the blog. If you know someone who is misunderstanding their sugar addiction for just a sugar craving, feel free to share this blog with them.