What are 4 reasons why you feel the need to eat sugary foods?

Have you ever felt the desperate need to eat something sweet, like chocolate, after lunch? This happens to a lot of people and while it shouldn’t be a problem sporadically, when the urge to eat sugar is very strong and extends throughout the day, we might face a series of problems.

These are 4 reasons why we feel the need to eat sugar, according to the academic of Bond University and nutrition expert Hayley O’Neill In The conversation .

Beyond the fact that we like flavor, academic O’Neill explained that Sugar “is a key energy source and its taste is one of the most fundamental sensory experiences.”

However, different research has found that eating a lot of sugar can affect mood, digestion and intestinal inflammation, in addition to cause “drastic increases and rapid declines blood sugar levels “.

More specifically, when blood sugar levels drop, The body can react by generating a very strong desire to consume this source of energy in the form of sugar and carbohydrates.

Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters in your brain that send signals of pleasure.

Eat sugar and carbs It usually triggers dopamine, generating a pleasant feeling that we want to experience again and again, thus forcing us to eat more sugar.

For its part, serotonin is known as the “feel-good hormone” and suppresses appetite: Eating low carbs can harm your mood, as well as your mood.

According to the expert, “Our body needs things it lacks, like hydration or even salt. A low-carb diet, for example, lowers insulin levels, thereby reducing sodium and water retention.

In this state, it can be common for the body to crave more sugar and carbohydrates to “make up” for what it is losing.

Cortisol is the stress hormone that, when elevated, “can generate a craving for sweet and comfort foods. » Additionally, it can mean that even if we eat, we don’t feel full.